Apple's Design Direction in Question as Cook's Likely Successor Retires
Apple's announcement on July 9th that Jeff Williams, the long-time Chief Operating Officer and widely considered a potential successor to CEO Tim Cook, would be stepping down has significant implications. Williams, who joined Apple in 1998, oversaw the supply chains for iconic products like the iPod, iPhone, and Apple Watch, and played a crucial role in expanding Apple's health initiatives. His departure raises questions about the future direction of Apple's design philosophy.
Following Jony Ive's departure in 2019, Williams took over leadership of the design team. However, this transition has coincided with a period of perceived instability and design controversies within Apple, impacting both industrial and software design.
The core question is: What will happen to Apple's design? According to Apple's announcement, Sabih Khan will not take over the Apple design team and Apple Watch business, but will continue to be supervised by Jeff Williams. The Apple design team will report directly to Cook after Williams officially retires.
Lacking a True Leader, Apple Design Loses Direction
In the latest iOS 26 Beta 3, Apple subtly adjusted the "Liquid Glass" interface, opting for a more blurred and heavier "frosted glass" effect. This change, though unannounced, signals a potential retreat from Apple's ambitious visual language experiment.
The "Liquid Glass" design, introduced at WWDC, aimed to create a unified, skeuomorphic aesthetic through environmental mapping and transparent textures. However, its practicality was quickly debated, with concerns raised about readability and interface clarity. The Beta 3 adjustment suggests Apple is prioritizing stability over radical design changes.
Since Jony Ive's departure in 2019, Apple's design team has experienced turbulence. Evans Hankey, Ive's successor, maintained design continuity but oversaw no major breakthroughs. Her short tenure and the subsequent leadership vacuum further destabilized the team. While Molly Anderson was promoted to lead industrial design, she lacks the SVP title and authority to fully steer design direction.
There is a widespread belief that after Jeff Williams took over the design, Apple's design department became more of an "execution department" rather than a "creative department." Without the strong aesthetic and philosophical guidance of Jony Ive, Apple's design team seems to have become a cog in the wheel of supply chain rhythm and operational efficiency, becoming controllable and quantifiable, but gradually losing its "soul."
While Apple states that the design team will report to Cook after Williams' retirement, this may be a temporary arrangement. Cook's strengths lie in supply chain management and operations, not product design. John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is a more likely candidate to influence future product design. He has been gradually taking over the hardware development of key products such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AirPods, and is one of Apple's most important product helmsmen.
In conclusion, Apple's design direction faces uncertainty. The company's commitment to stability is understandable, but the era of groundbreaking design, reminiscent of the iMac and early iPhones, seems distant. As Apple's design team stands at a crossroads, it remains to be seen whether it will continue its conservative approach or rediscover its passion for innovative design.
