Jony Ive Said to Be 'As Connected to Product Design as Ever' Following Speculation About His Role

[melendezest]

I can't wait for this guy to be disconnected. And Tim Cook.

We need people at Apple that understand the difference between consumer and pro, and that they need to build products for both.

That is the long game. The i-product bubble will burst. Slapping the "pro" moniker to consumer-grade products is NOT the way to play, either.

This is not to speak to the products that they are currently raking in the profits from. By all means, they should continue.

But the issue that'll bite them in the long-term is the products they are NOT building (anymore).

 

[chiefsilverback]

Yeah I think they are designing nice looking products, however I think that their design is constraining function a little too much lately. I think that Ive might need to be reigned in a little bit so that his designs are to make great technology look cool, rather than to make a cool design fit some technology inside of it

I wonder how it works, does Jony say "it needs to be Xmm 'thin'" or do that hardware/strategy guys say "we're going to go for all USB-C/TB3 so don't worry about all those other ports"?

For me the gaps at the moment are on the strategy side. No 3.5mm on iPhone but keeping it on Mac, dropping Airport, dropping standalone displays etc... That's not a design issue per se unless Jony's role include 'designing the strategy'.

 

[fishmongerer]

Whatever or whoever is responsible... The company isn't what it used to be, that's for sure. It's definitely not the company that won me over around 2008. I don't want to go back to PC/Windows junk but I'm not seeing anything for content creators coming from Apple that I really want, computer-wise. It's not looking like they'll ever provide it either.

I expect no new Mac Pro ever again, since they've given up on monitors and possibly other things in their formerly rich ecosystem... to focus on repeatedly re-marketing the same iPhones and watches every year, and occasionally release a waify, improperly named laptop, and watch accessories.

I hope that Apple car project is dead.

Their secrecy business model doesn't work very well anymore for computers. To be absolutely silent and let the Mac Pro languish...even I don''t plan to buy one, but I find this disturbing.

The trend has been to maximize profits by focusing on the wealthier class of people and not the designers or pros or the "poor people". They ran their calculations and they are getting the most bang for the buck focusing on throwaway computers that are expensive and only the rich and upper middle class (single or DINKs) can afford).

 

[chiefsilverback]

Why is leaving Apple the same as giving up on design altogether? It would be entirely possible for Jony Ive to go back to England and focus on his real passion, designing a car. There are what... like 7-8 Formular 1 teams just in Oksfordshire alone, most of them have their street model crew the same place.

Designing and F1 car is a far cry from designing laptops, phones, tables and christmas trees. Jony Ive is undoubtedly a very accomplished designer, but unless he's spent all of his spare time studying advanced aero dynamics I'm not sure many of the F1 teams would be rushing to employ him!!!

 

[Naimfan]

A pity he's NOT on the way out. They need to get past their obsession that thin is the only thing that matters.

 

[weup togo]

Apple's own public pronouncements are losing their credibility, so they increasingly resort to whispering their marketing line in the ears of trusted mouthpieces like gruber and recode and the verge. I think it's to the point where it isn't helping Apple anymore, and it's eroding the credibility of the third parties they exploit to spread their message.

 

[shk718]

Stop that crazy talk. People here are not into facts. In a moment of weakness I would, however, add the iPhone 7 display with high performance DCI-P3 wide color gamut has been rated best by DisplayMate.

Apple's 2017 Q1 revenue guidance is in the range $76-78 billion. Appears Apple is on the road to an excellent quarter with tens of millions of people voting with open wallets purchasing Apple products. And Ive can take a ton of credit for that.

The screen is really impressive - I'm surprised that it's noticeably better than the 6S. And the W1 chip they designed for the beats headphones dramatically increases battery life, I'm getting 4-5 days of full time use. it makes wireless headphones much more useful. I hope they license it out to other manufacturers. Apple is on a roll!

 

[MNJohn]

Over the last few days, speculation has begun brewing over the potential winding down of Jony Ive's career at Apple, where he works as the company's chief design officer. During an episode of "The Talk Show" podcast posted last Friday, John Gruber mentioned that he had recently heard Ive has been "checked out or not as directly involved with product design" at Apple, and instead focused on architecture projects for its campuses and retail locations.

Earlier this week, a couple of websites began sharing Gruber's words in stories angled with Ive's lessening involvement at Apple, backed up by the recent release of "Designed by Apple in California," which many look at as the designer's swan song within the company.

Rumors of Ive being "on his way out" of Apple have existed for a while, however, going back to his promotion to chief design officer last year. The position was described as allowing Ive to focus less on management and more on design, or as Gruber said, "the skeptic's take is that this new arrangement allows Ive to be less involved, period."

Following all of this, Gruber yesterday posted a new blog to clear up his original statement. He reiterated on the second and third-hand sources speaking of Ive's status in the company, stating that no one has directly mentioned Ive has stopped overseeing Apple's day-to-day product design, but what he's heard is from sources who "think" he has. After addressing the nuance he meant to convey during his podcast, Gruber admitted that he's in fact heard from "well-placed sources within Apple" that Ive is as devoted and involved as ever.
Gruber ultimately bet that Ive is "not going anywhere," because the arguments that state the designer is leaving Apple must also argue that he is giving up being a designer altogether, and "that doesn't sound right" to him. Addressing the recently released design book -- which covers all of Ive's history with Apple -- Gruber also mentioned that while it could be construed as a goodbye to Apple, "it feels to me like Ive's heartfelt goodbye to his best friend and colleague, five years gone. I don't think Jony Ive is going anywhere."

Check out the full blog post on Daring Fireball.

Article Link: Jony Ive Said to Be 'As Connected to Product Design as Ever' Following Speculation About His Role

Hasn't Cook and him "dongled" enough products already?

 

[JackANSI]

Ive used to be a great designer...

 

[jonnysods]

Jony Ive was great as long as Steve Jobs was around to give him direction.

I think this is true. Now they are leaning on him for everything design related while Tim crunches numbers and does what a typical CEO does: look for bigger markets, keep profit margins big etc.

 

[pat500000]

I don't know...he sounds dongled up.

 

[kidaje]

If Ive is responsible for the all the Apple stuff in 2016.. then i hope he's out.. if not, then he better get back in the game.

 

[Rob_2811]

Other highlights from that episode of the Talk Show included Gruber and Jason Snell agreeing that Apple is very interested in the Mac.

 

[Naimfan]

Other highlights from that episode of the Talk Show included Gruber and Jason Snell agreeing that Apple is very interested in the Mac.

Well, they know they have to cover the bases . . .

 

[ChrisCW11]

Meh, I think he peaked back with Jobs and hasn't done anything relevant since. He is "maintaining" designs, trying to find ways to more creatively glue components into devices that are getting thinner and thinner. This is not innovation, nor is it even good industrial design.

I think it is VERY obvious that Jobs was the real design visionary and that Jony turned those designs into reality. Not saying that Jony didn't do wonders in the past, but having a mentor like Steve Jobs was what made Jony Ive a great industrial designer, and it is obvious under Tim Cook's leadership he has floundered.

How can Jony be connected to product design when Apple came out with the iPad Pro Pencil that charges like a wang sticking out 90 degrees from the iPad? How can Jony approve of the tumor battery case. How can Jony approve coming out with a product that REQUIRES a battery case. Why is Jony happy to regurgitate the same designs he created 5+ years ago when most people think Apple's product portfolio is looking old and almost "retro" these days.

Jony is being paid a lot of money on his past success and this is why he is sticking with Apple, but he cannot be very happy working at Apple today under Tim Cook. Whether he is not being allow to create new innovative designs, or he is not capable of creating innovative designs without someone like Jobs to encourage him, the reality is that Jony today is a pale imitation of his former self.

Look at his "Christmas Tree", I mean if there is anything that speaks of someone more bored of his career then to stick an empty tree in a lobby with projections of other trees around it and thinks that it is a groundbreaking design is someone in HEAVEY HEAVEY denial that he peaked and needs better leadership and encouragement to be great again.

 

[Peperino]

If he was the one responsible for the Mac PRO and the new Macbooks, then he should go.
They were both a failure....

 

[mkeeley]

I think Macrumors needs some fresh members besides trolls.

But where will you go?

 

[RedOrchestra]

Ive claims one of his greatest designs / innovations / accomplishments was the Apple Watch - great - a rectangular blob of black.

This was REAL watch design and still stands out as such - the Railroad Watch

 

[Hank Carter]

As an Industrial Designer myself, I never thought I'd see the day when Jony would not impress me anymore.

You know what would impress me? Not designing a phone where the the power button has been placed to land directly under your thumb and opposite of the volume buttons.

 

[Kameha]

Of course he stays to make the product couple % thinner; he will MAKE APPLE SUCK AGAIN

 

[fuchsdh]

Well, someone seems to be lying. When there's smoke, there's fire. Maybe the 10th Anniversary iPhone will be his last major design for Apple? And he will just serve as an advisor going forward...there's been speculation for years he wanted to spend more time with his family. I guess we shall see in the upcoming years.

Anyone can start a rumor on the internet. That doesn't magically mean that there's truth to it.

 

[Smith288]

Hey Jony... When I think "professional" products, I dont think of thin, light or under powered. So make a thin, light and under powered for non pros and make a solid, powerful and sturdy pro laptop with longer battery life. Then i'll think about buying.

 

[domino67]

As an Industrial Designer myself, I never thought I'd see the day when Jony would not impress me anymore.

I guess there is only so many Dieter Rams products Jony Ive could copy.

 

[Christoffee]

Is he connected to product design with an adapter?

Funniest comment on here for a long time!!

 

[Cheffy Dave]

You don't need a widely acclaimed designer for emojis.

Oh you are so cute, just play the design film of the 12" MB, NOTHING,ANYWHERE, is made like this, to this level of design