Apple Announces Upcoming Departure of Lead Product Designer Evans Hankey

[MacRumors]

Apple's vice president of industrial design Evans Hankey plans to leave the company next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple confirmed the report in a statement, but her successor has not been named yet.

Apple's hardware design lead Evans Hankey (left) and software design lead Alan Dye (right)​

"Apple's design team brings together expert creatives from around the world and across many disciplines to imagine products that are undeniably Apple," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement shared with Bloomberg today. "The senior design team has strong leaders with decades of experience. Evans plans to stay on as we work through the transition, and we'd like to thank her for her leadership and contributions."

Hankey succeeded Jony Ive as Apple's de-facto design chief after he left the company in 2019, reporting to Apple's operations chief Jeff Williams. She will remain at Apple for at least the next six months, and Apple's software design lead Alan Dye is also staying at Apple and will continue to report to Williams, according to the report.

Article Link: Apple Announces Upcoming Departure of Lead Product Designer Evans Hankey

 

[Kylo83]

explains a lot really, the latest products show it, they need to hire a new team that are best for the job

 

[siddavis]

Making the design team thinner.

 

[macsplusmacs]

Stares at two people in photo.

Wants the table they are leaning on.

 

[Sydnxt]

Maybe their replacement can add Apple Pencil 2 support to the iPad 11, ugh.

 

[newyorksole]

explains a lot really, the latest products show it, they need to hire a new team that are best for the job

I’m not really well-versed with company structure, but my question is… isn’t it also up to the executives, Tim etc to sign off on designs too? like, is it really all on the designers? do they come up with the designs *and* say “this must release just as is. no changes.”?

I just figure some other players would have a say in how something looks after the designers draft it up.

 

[now i see it]

Dead end job

 

[mikethemartian]

Has the design team always answered to operations?

 

[klasma]

Wants the table they are leaning on.

It has a crack in the middle.

 

[citysnaps]

explains a lot really, the latest products show it, they need to hire a new team that are best for the job

No it doesn't.

 

[decypher44]

Anyone else start singing, ”Mr Hankey, the Christmas Poo”? Just me? Huh.

 

[Sasparilla]

Thanks for all the hard work Evans, so many amazingly good designs over the last years, will be missed.

I’m not really well-versed with company structure, but my question is… isn’t it also up to the executives, Tim etc to sign off on designs too? like, is it really all on the designers? do they come up with the designs *and* say “this must release just as is. no changes.”?

I just figure some other players would have a say in how something looks after the designers draft it up.

You nailed it here. It's going to be a combination of what designers want with what engineers can do within cost constraints enforced by others (hello Apple pencil v1 on the new base iPad total cost call there) - and then of course you have the top execs who oversee it all who could affect things.

As others have pointed out, Apple has done astoundingly well under their current CEO, but the company misses someone at the flyover exec level who would put their foot down and say "you know what folks, this really sucks, we can't do it like this.", that Job's did - thinking of Apple Watch v3 carried on for years where you could not do a OS update without doing a factory reset 1st, every single time, or this goofy v1 pencil on the iPad etc..

The company is doing fine without that, but it would do better with someone making these calls and keeping the user experience quality at top notch (for everything). Tough to get someone like that, which the CEO could trust who wouldn't also be an ego centric nut job though.

 

[edhudley]

If this is the guy that decided the over priced entry level iPad should have the landscape oriented camera, yet the iPad Pros shouldn’t, then I say Bye!!

 

[emulator]

explains a lot really, the latest products show it, they need to hire a new team that are best for the job

Maybe that's his reason for leaving, he's had enough of Tim Apple?

 

[pelegri]

It has a crack in the middle.

Drawers.

 

[IMPOSSIBLEMAN]

Apple needs a change of management.
Their hardware has become confusing and their software has been stagnant for years.
Sorry but Pencil 1 on iPad is offensive and stage manager is a joke.

 

[nattK]

Maybe that's his reason for leaving, he's had enough of Tim Apple?

If this is the guy that decided the over priced entry level iPad should have the landscape oriented camera, yet the iPad Pros shouldn’t, then I say Bye!!

Evans Hankey’s a woman.

 

[1557750]

Let’s play a game…

Bobbing for Apple employees.

 

[mrat93]

Anyone else start singing, ”Mr Hankey, the Christmas Poo”? Just me? Huh.

Same. Specifically the sad rendition before he is fed Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls to revive him.

 

[Karma*Police]

Not surprising at all. She hasn’t done anything since 2019. Nothing bold, nothing new. Everything is just a rehash of Ive’s designs. Even the new iMac (which I think looks great) was apparently created by Jonny Ive.

 

[kylelerner]

Haven’t most of the products released since her arrival been design regurgitations of products/models from the past?

 

[guzhogi]

Not surprising at all. She hasn’t done anything since 2019. Nothing bold, nothing new. Everything is just a rehash of Ive’s designs. Even the new iMac (which I think looks great) was apparently created by Jonny Ive.

Yeah, though I have to wonder how much of the various Apple designs (original iMac, iPod & iiPhone) were solely Jony Ives, and how much were Jony Ives + Steve Jobs? I'd love to see bold, new designs like a chinless, touchscreen iMac with FaceID.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Does this mean she will have to start buying her own Apple products now? Sign of the times.

I think many within the company have seen for a while now the products are peaking. What more can they really do to keep them fresh and exciting? Sure, there will be newer technologies: 5G, battery, power efficiency, AI, but it will still be a newer rectangle thats used death scroll, reply to threads on Macrumors and act a foo on TikTok.

 

[jz0309]

explains a lot really, the latest products show it, they need to hire a new team that are best for the job

Nonsense, but whatever you think…

 

[citysnaps]

Maybe that's his reason for leaving, he's had enough of Tim Apple?

She could have left for a variety of reasons; from her Apple stock vesting, to wanting to pursue a different opportunity, to moving to another part of the country, to wanting to retire and enjoy life, and on and on.

Tim Apple? Why the juvenile slam?