Apple's Jony Ive promoted to Chief Design Officer

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  • Reply 61 of 142
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member

    I don't really like iOS 7/8 UX design at all. I miss the good old days where you could easily see the difference between commands, links, and actions. Not so with iOS 7. I had to turn on "Button shapes" so they could be obvious. And it's way too FLAT. I was expecting textures and nice contrasting colors, not neon, low contrasty colors. 

     

    Ivy totally sucked on that one. The worst ever. Lately, with upgrades, Macs are getting more difficult to allow upgrades/fixes - now, it's hard to swap SSD drives... seriously? I mean, they could go with m.2 SSD which should allow easy swap while making the Mac thinner.   

     

    And I still use Apple products. It doesn't MEAN that I approve his UX designs. I don't. I absolutely detest iTunes and Photo apps. They don't offer any easy way for me to open a selected file in Photoshop. Nada. It has to be done through complicated steps for exporting. It's a horrible UX on a file management level. 

     

    In fact, I may switch to Windows 10 as I find it incredibly much improved over Windows 8 UX hell. 

     

    Just because Apple devices sell like hotcakes doesn't make it better. There are more Windows than Macs but it doesn't mean Windows is better. 

  • Reply 62 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    hoobitron wrote: »
    So is this a good thing or bad thing for Apple investors?

    It sounds like the two people promoted are still reporting to Ive so I can't imagine any concern on Wall Street's part. Plus both are long time Apple employees so I'm assuming not much will change in terms of day to day operations.
  • Reply 63 of 142
    danielswdanielsw Posts: 906member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by radster360 View Post

     

    Congrats to Jony Ive! I am sure Jony always had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. Maybe this is the way to actually giving the other folks an increased visibility and having them set for next gen. Creating a CDO position and promoting Ive to this role is to get win/win/win situation. Let's not try to read any negativity into this - There isn't any.




    Agreed.

     

    I think this is an important strategic step to prepare for Apple's next phase.

     

    Where does it go next? If it's cars, that's going to take a LOT of design and planning and market research. Apple is known for "getting it right" in the face of entrenched fixed ideas and complacency in various industries. Automobile manufacturing is a huge endeavor, one which Tesla seems to have gotten a good foothold in. But Apple and Tesla probably know that more mass market products will have to be developed if they hope to make a dent in the damage IC engine powered cars have wreaked.

     

    The problem is, Apple (and Tesla) have about one chance to "get it right" with electric cars, because there is no one else likely to pick up a dropped guidon. And there's not much time left to wait for one.

     

    Design plays a key part in whatever's next—especially for automobiles. So much work which will have to be overseen by Sir Jony even before Apple's first presentation, to ensure that the proper emotional chords are struck as broadly as possible so that yet another groundswell of demand will be generated for the Apple Car.

     

    Who else but Sir Jony would be up to the task?

  • Reply 64 of 142
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member
    Contrary to what others have said, Engadget had quoted him "the move "frees [him] up" from the drudgery of management and lets him focus on... well, design."

    Which is basically what he loves to do, he dont like management, but he will need the authority to say yes or no so others get on with it. Basically he will be doing what Steve Jobs has been doing for the past 20 years.

    And title dont mean much at all I think, Steve already has stated Jony will be his spiritual successor, has super power over anyone, or level with Tim while he is a SVP, lower level then all other Cheif Officers.
  • Reply 65 of 142
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,309member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Hmm...I think this position could be more of a public face. That 20 page profile in the New Yorker makes more sense now.

    Your are correct. I erred in I thinking only of the Jony Ive videos that are common at product intros, which always seemed a little forced.

  • Reply 66 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    sog35 wrote: »
    It is definetely a promotion.

    A 'C' level job (CEO, COO, CFO, CDO) is higher than a senior VP

    Ok so when does Jeff Williams get his promotion to COO? He certainly deserves it. I'm kind of surprised he didn't get it when Cook became CEO.
  • Reply 67 of 142
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sog35 View Post





    Luca Maestri is the Chief Financial Officer.



    it is pretty strange that for such a large company there was only two C-level positions. Most companies the size of Apple have at least a CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, and CTO.



    Apple hasn't been run normally in, well, probably not since Scully was forced out, but definitely not since 1997.

     

    And I know that this isn't what happened to Jony, but you should know that positions of "power" are often created to sideline people who are making too many waves. Being the "Chief" of something doesn't necessarily mean you're powerful. 

  • Reply 68 of 142
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     



    And people love to claim that Apple's "obsession with thinness and removing ports" is a recent development.

     



     

    It may look thick today, but that was incredibly thin and portable in the '90s. And it was missing most of the "essential" ports.

     


     

    it was missing ports because it plugged into a dock with a monitor

     

     

    once I can have MBP power in a MacBook package, and a nice way to dock to three 27" retina monitors, ethernet and thunderbolt, I'm buying.

     

    If it can run iOS and OS X, even better. (which, with Xcode, it can 'run' iOS in the simulator, but I'd like to be able to install more stuff in there than just what I'm compiling)

     

    as an aside, how long until Samsung creates the position of "Chief Design Officer"? I give them a month...

  • Reply 69 of 142
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by netrox View Post

     

    I don't really like iOS 7/8 UX design at all. I miss the good old days where you could easily see the difference between commands, links, and actions. Not so with iOS 7. I had to turn on "Button shapes" so they could be obvious. And it's way too FLAT. I was expecting textures and nice contrasting colors, not neon, low contrasty colors. 

     

    Ivy totally sucked on that one. The worst ever. Lately, with upgrades, Macs are getting more difficult to allow upgrades/fixes - now, it's hard to swap SSD drives... seriously? I mean, they could go with m.2 SSD which should allow easy swap while making the Mac thinner.   

     

    And I still use Apple products. It doesn't MEAN that I approve his UX designs. I don't. I absolutely detest iTunes and Photo apps. They don't offer any easy way for me to open a selected file in Photoshop. Nada. It has to be done through complicated steps for exporting. It's a horrible UX on a file management level. 

     

    In fact, I may switch to Windows 10 as I find it incredibly much improved over Windows 8 UX hell. 

     

    Just because Apple devices sell like hotcakes doesn't make it better. There are more Windows than Macs but it doesn't mean Windows is better. 


     

    I have some issues with recent apple UI decisions (a mobile UI doesn't really work well for me in a desktop / laptop paradigm), but it seems that OSX 10.11 and iOS9 will be maintenance releases so that everything 'just works' again.

     

    But, Windows 10 ? you have fun with that one....

  • Reply 70 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member

    Apple hasn't been run normally in, well, probably not since Scully was forced out, but definitely not since 1997.

    And I know that this isn't what happened to Jony, but you should know that positions of "power" are often created to sideline people who are making too many waves. Being the "Chief" of something doesn't necessarily mean you're powerful. 

    Well Apple is certainly unique from an organizational perspective. Very few companies are run in a functional/matrixed organization. In most big companies you have presidents of divisions that have their own CFO's and P&L statements. For a while Apple was quasi divisional with different heads for iOS and OS X engineering but when Tim got rid of Scott Forstall he squashed that and Apple became 100% funational. Not at all how most companies are organized.
  • Reply 71 of 142
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xixo View Post

     

     

    it was missing ports because it plugged into a dock with a monitor

     

     

    once I can have MBP power in a MacBook package, and a nice way to dock to three 27" retina monitors, ethernet and thunderbolt, I'm buying.

     

    If it can run iOS and OS X, even better. (which, with Xcode, it can 'run' iOS in the simulator, but I'd like to be able to install more stuff in there than just what I'm compiling)

     

    as an aside, how long until Samsung creates the position of "Chief Design Officer"? I give them a month...




    It didn't come with the dock. And the dock didn't come with the monitor. You can buy MacBook docks on your own.

  • Reply 72 of 142
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     



    It didn't come with the dock. And the dock didn't come with the monitor. You can buy MacBook docks on your own.


     

    It cost $4500 (in 1995) but only had a docking port and a single serial port for an external modem or printer - this was before Airport - no WiFi

     

    I used to sell them, and pretty much everyone who bought them bought the dock and a monitor. 

     

    I want to buy an Apple MacBook dock, not a 3rd party kludge. Like I said, when the MBP inevitably has the same form factor as the new MacBook but the power and connectivity of the MBP, I'll buy it.

  • Reply 73 of 142
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by xixo View Post

     

     

    It cost $4500 (in 1995) but only had a docking port and a single serial port for an external modem or printer - this was before Airport - no WiFi

     

    I used to sell them, and pretty much everyone who bought them bought the dock and a monitor. 

     

    I want to buy an Apple MacBook dock, not a 3rd party kludge. Like I said, when the MBP inevitably has the same form factor as the new MacBook but the power and connectivity of the MBP, I'll buy it.


     

    Bought a dock. Not everyone bought a DuoDock. There were also the smaller docks, much more akin to what you'd get today. The reality is that USB-C can replace the custom dock port; plug it into a monitor and it can deliver power, data, and video to a USB Display or whatever they call it.

  • Reply 74 of 142
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I thought he held the highest design position?

    So now he's super designer?
  • Reply 75 of 142
    frugalityfrugality Posts: 410member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

     


    Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive (center), flanked by head of User Interface Alan Dye (left) and Industrial Design chief Richard Howarth. | Source: The Telegrah


    The guy's got something wrong with his left arm.  He should have that looked at......all that money he makes and he can't afford a good physical therapist.....?

  • Reply 76 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    sog35 wrote: »
    still most large companies at minimum have a CEO, CFO, and COO.

    I guess Cook is both CEO and COO right now

    Is it worrisome that Jeff Williams hasn't been given that title...e.g. he's not up to the task? You'd think by now Cook would have divested his COO role to Williams.
  • Reply 77 of 142
    1st1st Posts: 443member
    congratulations! it is good to have a single vision on ID (consensus and trade off from team voting just dilute the vision... ). Hopefully, he will bring more unique products to delight the users with both technical and aesthethic attributes. Few can master that (rare can consistantly deliver more than 15 years - peak of human brain activity). Looking forward to his new creation (a new baby? many years of making?;-).
    Best of wishes.
    1st
  • Reply 78 of 142
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    inkling wrote: »
    But with how stripped down Apple's laptops have become in that pursuit of thinnest, they're no longer a substitute for a desktop. Not enough ports. No ability to upgrade the RAM or storage. 

    then stop looking at ultraportables and look at the MBP. right tool for the right job.

    few people ever upgrade their notebook's ram and even fewer its storage.
  • Reply 79 of 142
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    evilution wrote: »
    Doesn't sound like a promotion.

    why's that?
  • Reply 80 of 142
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    netrox wrote: »
    In fact, I may switch to Windows 10 as I find it incredibly much improved over Windows 8 UX hell. 

    you may switch to an unreleased OS that you've likely never used? "Thank you for trolling, please drive through."
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