According to people with knowledge of the matter, Apple’s head of hardware design, Evans Hankey, is leaving the iPhone maker three years after taking the job, creating a significant hole in the company’s top position. a company known for its sleek-looking products.
Hankey was appointed to the position in 2019 to replace Jony Ive, the company’s iconic design director for two decades. Prior to assuming his current role as vice president of industrial design, Hankey spent several years at Apple Report to Ive. Since then, she has reported to CEO Jeff Williams.
The departure was announced inside the Cupertino, California-based tech giant this week, with Hankey telling colleagues she will stay at Apple for the next six months. Hankey oversees dozens of industrial designers and unnamed companies instead.
Her pending departure marks the first time Apple has had no de facto design director since co-founding it. Steve Jobs regained control of the company in the late 1990s and appointed Ive to the job. Richard Howarth, key designer for both Ive’s and Hankey’s, served as head of industrial design, reporting to Ive, between 2015 and 2017.
Apple confirmed Friday that Hankey will step down.
“Apple’s design team brings together professional innovators from around the world and across disciplines to envision Apple’s undeniable products,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Father. “The senior design team has strong leaders with decades of experience. Evans plans to continue as we work on the transition, and we want to thank her for her leadership and contributions. “
The luxury of Apple products – including the once revolutionary idea of a phone that was just a screen – helped fuel the return of the company under Jobs. And it continues to be a key differentiator under the CEO Tim Cookhelps to keep away from opponents, such as Samsung Electronics and Amazonand make Apple the most valuable business in the world. The company is on track to hit $400 billion in sales (nearly Rs 33,05,100) this year, according to analysts’ estimates, a new record by analysts’ estimates.
Apple weathered the tech downturn this year better than most. Its shares are down nearly 19% in 2022, compared with a 32% drop in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index. Apple was up nearly 1% on Friday.
The void left by Hankey could affect Apple’s future design plans and raise new questions about how its products will evolve in the post-Ive era. It is unclear if Hankey will join another company.
Ive cast a large shadow over Apple, even after his departure in 2019. The British-born CEO left to start his own design firm called LoveFrom, and Apple has since left. Become a top customer. But that arrangement ended this year.
Apple has been working on major new devices, including mixed reality headsets for next year and augmented reality glasses that will launch at a later date. There is also the possibility of electric cars appearing in this decade.
Alan Dye, Apple’s head of user interface and software design, didn’t go anywhere and still reported to Williams, who requested anonymity because the matter was private. The dye was also advertised in 2019 when Ive left. Gary Butcher, a former top designer in Dye’s department and now AirbnbApple’s vice president of design will return to Apple, they added.
© 2022 Bloomberg LP
