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Apple's Design Exodus Continues, Kerr Joins Ive's LoveFrom

Apple's design team sees continued exodus with Duncan Kerr's departure, marking a near-complete turnover since Jony Ive's era.

By Jack Wilson

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5/8, 13:04 EDT
Apple Inc.
Airbnb, Inc.
Ferrari N.V.
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Key Takeaway

  • Duncan Kerr's departure nearly completes the post-Jony Ive exodus of Apple's original design team, impacting key product development.
  • Leadership changes with designers reporting to COO Jeff Williams instead of a design lead have caused dissatisfaction within the team.
  • Many former Apple designers are joining Ive's new venture, LoveFrom, indicating a shift in the creative landscape surrounding Apple.

Design Team Exodus

The departure of Duncan Kerr from Apple Inc. marks a significant transition for the company's design group, a team once led by the iconic Jony Ive. Kerr, who has been with Apple since 1999, played a pivotal role in the development of key products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. His exit nearly completes the exodus of Ive's original design team, a collective that was instrumental in pioneering a range of Apple's groundbreaking devices. Over the years, notable designers including Jody Akana, Joe Tan, Anthony Ashcroft, Andrea Williams, Jeremy Bataillou, and Eugene Whang have left the company. This trend continued with the departures of Bart Andre, Colin Burns, Shota Aoyagi, and Peter Russell-Clarke.

Leadership Changes

Following Jony Ive's departure in 2019, Evans Hankey succeeded him as the head of industrial design but left Apple last year. Alan Dye, who oversees interface design, remains with the company, although his team has seen several departures in recent months. The remaining members from the Ive era include Richard Howarth, Molly Anderson, and Ben Shaffer. The design team's direct reporting to Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, rather than a leader with a design background, has reportedly caused dissatisfaction among the team members. This shift in reporting structure represents a significant change from the close managerial relationship the designers had under Ive's leadership.

New Ventures and Legacy

A significant number of former Apple designers have joined LoveFrom, Jony Ive's new design company, which collaborates with high-profile clients such as Airbnb Inc., Ferrari NV, and Moncler SpA. Despite Ive's reduced visibility in Apple's day-to-day operations, he made a public appearance alongside CEO Tim Cook and Laurene Powell Jobs in a joint interview in 2022. This indicates that while Ive has moved on to new ventures, his legacy at Apple and his influence on the company's design philosophy continue to be acknowledged.