Apple’s industrial design chief leaves the company three years after Jony Ive

CNN Business
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Apple’s industrial design chief, who recently oversaw the design of products such as the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac computers, is leaving the company.

Evans Hankey was one of two people promoted to oversee the design team after departure of Apple

(AAPL)longtime product designer Jony Ive in June 2019. Apple

(AAPL) told CNN that Hankey would stay with the company for a temporary period.

“Apple’s design team brings together expert creatives from around the world and across many disciplines to imagine products that are unmistakably Apple,” a spokesperson said. “The senior design team has strong leaders with decades of experience. Evans plans to stay on as we go through the transition, and we want to thank her for her leadership and contributions.

The departure, signaled for the first time by Bloombergcomes at a time when many of Apple’s best-known products are mostly receiving incremental design updates, while long-running products such as a mixed reality headset – a wearable device that would be capable of both virtual and augmented reality – has yet to launch.

Hankey came into the role after I left to start his own design company, LoveFrom. (At the time of his departure, Apple said he would become one of his clients but would have stopped working together earlier this year.) I worked closely with Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs on a slew of notable products, from candy-colored iMacs to the original iPod and iPhone, that relaunched Apple’s fortune and ultimately made it the most valuable company in the world. His work has earned him design awards, a knighthood and the company of celebrities like U2’s Bono.

In December 2021, Hankey and Dye offered Wallpaper, a design and lifestyle publication, a rare look inside how Apple’s design team approaches new products. Hankey detailed the methods Apple used to fine-tune notifications and “tap” on the Apple Watch, and how he scanned thousands of ears to perfect the shape of the AirPods.

“A lot of what we value for the team and for the company really started in the early days of design at Apple,” Hankey said. “We cannot overstate how lucky we are to be in a company with such a rich and deep base. From the very first “think different” mantra, to Steve and Jony’s collective focus on craftsmanship, maintenance and tool making, to their respect for the creative process, this is what always drives us.

Apple has yet to announce Hankey’s replacement.