When Jony Ive announced his departure from Apple, many anticipated that it would be the beginning of the end for a company powered by its devices. The emblematic designer of the iPod, iPhone and iMac was tired and executive decisions seemed to work against him. Today, a report from New York Times offers a glimpse into Ive’s departure and why the Briton left the company.
The report is an excerpt from the book After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion-Dollar Company and Lost its Soul, written by Tripp Mickle. The book is based on more than 200 interviews with former Apple employees, friends and colleagues of Ive’s. It confirms many rumors that emerged after his departure in 2019, mainly the internal conflict due to the change of direction in the company and friction with different departments.
As mentioned at the time, Jony Ive’s departure began to be defined after the launch of the Apple Watch. The smart watch was Ive’s first product after the death of Steve Jobs and served as a catharsis. At the same time, conflicts in the perception of the product and its promotion became apparent between the designer and the marketing team.
While Ive was betting on seducing the fashion industry, advertisers wanted an Apple Watch focused on physical activity. The friction between the two reached its peak during the device announcement event. Jony Ive wanted a luxurious white tent and a budget of $25 million; marketers were looking for something more traditional, in line with the keynotes usual technology.
Jony Ive lost support after the death of Steve Jobs
Although Jony Ive got his way, the Briton would tell his colleagues that the discussion about the event and the marketing made him feel that Apple did not support him. Later the British would take a break after experiencing one of his most challenging years within the company.
At the time, Bloomberg reported that Jony Ive was “deeply tired” and stopped going to the offices every day. The burnout was not the only thing, since according to people close to Ive, the designer he was tired of dealing with his colleagues. After Jobs’s death, the Briton was in charge of product design and marketing, the second being what represented the most conflict.
To Jony Ive He also didn’t like Apple’s transition to a service company.. The chief designer complained that the company hired business executives, or as he called them, “accountants.”
Ive ceased to be relevant in Tim Cook’s Apple
The sad reality is that Ive’s presence was less necessary at the new Apple. Although his work was decisive in building the success of Apple, the demand for devices decreased.
Jony Ive’s loss of interest is reflected in the famous meeting to define the final design of the iPhone X. After waiting for three hours, the twenty best software designers presented Ive with the new functions of the terminal. In the end, Ive left the place without offering feedback attendees, something that would never have happened during his best years in the company.
Jony Ive’s departure was “amicable” in 2019. The iconic designer ended a frayed relationship thanks to a CEO who pays little attention to the design of his products.
Currently the British collaborates with different companies through his studio LoveFrom. The most recent report has to do with a multi-year contract with Ferrari to collaborate on various products. It is possible that an electric car is Jony Ive’s next big thingalthough we will have to wait until 2025 to find out.