Bart Andre, Apple's longest-serving designer, retires after 3 decades
Bart Andre, a senior industrial designer at Apple, is retiring after over 30 years with the company. He joined in 1992 alongside Jony Ive and played a significant role in shaping the look of Apple products over the past three decades. Christopher Stringer, a former colleague at Apple, said, "His mark on Apple products is indelible — I see him every day in the details."
Exodus of top designers continues
Andre's retirement comes on the heels of other top designers like Colin Burns, Peter Russell-Clarke, and Shota Aoyagi, leaving Apple around the end of 2023. Several senior designers from Apple's software design team are also planning to depart soon. Most of these designers reported directly to Ive, and have since joined LoveFrom. It is a design company founded by Ive that collaborated with Apple until two years ago.
Industrial-design team replenished with new talent
Following the departure of many senior designers, Apple's industrial-design team has welcomed new talent from outside the company. However, only a few members remain who worked under Ive and contributed to the success of products such as the iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Richard Howarth, Vice President of Design, along with Duncan Kerr and Molly Anderson, are among those who continue to work at Apple from the Ive era.
Jeff Williams oversees design groups amid staff unrest
Jeff Williams, Apple's Chief Operating Officer, has overseen both user interface and industrial design groups since Ive left in 2019. Williams assumed direct management of the industrial design team last year when former chief Evans Hankey departed. Some staff members have expressed concerns about having an operations-focused leader in charge of a design-centric division. Additionally, cost-cutting measures and a shift away from experimental projects without immediate payoffs have contributed to internal dissatisfaction.
What does Apple's design team do?
Apple's design team formulates the appearance and feel of devices and software. It also develops new features as well as interfaces. The team played a vital role in the creation of the firm's last two product lines, the Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro. Ive envisioned the watch's look. He also aided in crafting the iPod, iMac, and iPhone. To note, the Vision Pro's development also started during his tenure.
