Apple Still Using Designs from Designer who Resigned 5-years Ago

Five years after legendary designer Jony Ive’s departure, Apple’s product designs continue to bear his influence, even as the company faces ongoing challenges in its design department, as per Mark Gurman. The recent exit of Duncan Kerr, a longtime member of Ive’s team, who left the firm earlier this year, marks another loss for Apple’s design division. This comes after it was noticed that Apple has moved from a two-year iPhone redesign cycle to a three-year to five-year cycle.

Ive, who left Apple in 2019 but remained a consultant for a few years afterward and then formed his own design company, LoveFrom, was responsible for shaping the iconic look of products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Despite his departure, Apple’s latest devices, including the iPhone 16, still showcase design elements inspired by Ive’s work.

In case you didn’t know, Apple is notorious for making sure that the “person quitting the company doesn’t actually leave.” Jony Ive is one of them.

While the iPhone 16 introduces new features like the Camera Control and Action buttons, it retains a similar overall design to its predecessors, especially the Pro and Pro Max variants. 

This brain drain has raised concerns about Apple’s ability to innovate in design, particularly as the team now reports to Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams instead of a design-focused manager.