Apple's Jony Ive promoted to Chief Design Officer

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  • Reply 101 of 142
    starbotstarbot Posts: 7member
    I love it-- his opinion is "meaningless and useless". So does that mean your opinion is as well?

    Dude's as entitled to an opinion as your are.
    slurpy wrote: »
    Clearly. And the pathetic sales of Apple products running his UI is "clear" evidence of this right? Oh wait, sales have actually exploded, so the only thing that is "clear" is that your meaningless opinion is just that- a useless, meaningless opinion. Try not to pretend it's anything else, with words like "clearly". 
  • Reply 102 of 142
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Ben Thompson wrote over at his Stratechery blog that this is signaling Ive is on his way out. He even thinks this is bearish news for an Apple car.

    https://stratechery.com/2015/jony-ive-promoted-the-implications-of-not-managing-what-about-apple/

    Personally I think the exact opposite. If Ive had one foot out the door and was thinking about retirement there would be no reason for Apple to promote him and create a new C-level position within the company. What's the point of creating a Chief Design Officer role if Ive is going to be gone in a year or two?

    Like I said, it gives Jony some power and reassures investors, but allows him to be more hands off. Remember they're building a London design office too; if Ive wants to move back to England, it also works to have the CDO work in your remote design office.
  • Reply 103 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Like I said, it gives Jony some power and reassures investors, but allows him to be more hands off. Remember they're building a London design office too; if Ive wants to move back to England, it also works to have the CDO work in your remote design office.

    Why would he and his wife become US citizens and purchase a $17M house in San Francisco if they were planning to move back to England? This is what he said in the New Yorker profile:
    Ive told me that he never planned to move: he and his wife bought the house for family vacations, and sold it when it was underused. But he also connected the sale to what he called inaccurate reporting, in the London Times, in early 2011, claiming that Apple’s board had thwarted his hope of a relocation; he did not want to be shadowed by gossip. In 2012, Ive was knighted in Buckingham Palace; by then, he and his wife had become U.S. citizens, although they did not relinquish their British passports.

    I'm not familiar with this London design office. Do you have more information on it?
  • Reply 104 of 142
    nightskynightsky Posts: 43member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    This is the front page of Tuesday's Telegraph newspaper. I've got to imagine Apple PR knew it was going to run on the front page.

     

     

    You think they're lining him up to take the CEO role from Tim Cook? I didn't think he wanted the job but when you think about it I can't think of anyone better to take over that Steve Jobs role with Cook doing all the boring man management stuff. Or maybe Cook has other plans - run for Congress? Governor of California before a shot at the top one with a Presidential campaign?

  • Reply 105 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    nightsky wrote: »
    You think they're lining him up to take the CEO role from Tim Cook? I didn't think he wanted the job but when you think about it I can't think of anyone better to take over that Steve Jobs role with Cook doing all the boring man management stuff. Or maybe Cook has other plans - run for Congress? Governor of California before a shot at the top one with a Presidential campaign?

    No I don't. He's not a finance guy, doesn't like being on stage and I'm sure would hate having to deal with all of the mundane stuff a CEO has to deal with.
  • Reply 106 of 142
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    He needs to be removed from UI design. And yes, it's clear that he sucks at it. He put print marketing people on the job, taking it from Apple's UI team. Ludicrous.

    If you like change for the sake of change, and you're not a usability of UI specialist, of course you like all this flat nonsense and think it's just fine (especially if you didn't need to learn iOS or touch-based mobile interfaces for the first time on iOS 7 or 8). Consumers aren't human interface experts. The majority of sales were likely upgraders and new buyers who bought into the iOS platform based on the good name and reputation Apple built prior to Ive screwing things up on iOS 7.

    But keep mindlessly using sales figures to deny that the GUI design change had any negative impact at all. It takes time to burn a good reputation and it'll take one competitor to remember good design in order for every consumer wanting "change" to go flocking to something easier to look at, nicer to look at, and easier to intuit functionality. It might take a while, though, with all the lack of choice out there in flat-obsessed tech land.
  • Reply 107 of 142
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    Here's Apple's somewhat-secretive Industrial Design team as of a few months ago. Pictures of them are pretty rare.

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/59375/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
  • Reply 108 of 142
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    Like I said, it gives Jony some power and reassures investors, but allows him to be more hands off. Remember they're building a London design office too; if Ive wants to move back to England, it also works to have the CDO work in your remote design office.
    I missed the news of a London design office for Apple. When did they mention it?
  • Reply 109 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    dysamoria wrote: »
    He needs to be removed from UI design. And yes, it's clear that he sucks at it. He put print marketing people on the job, taking it from Apple's UI team. Ludicrous.

    If you like change for the sake of change, and you're not a usability of UI specialist, of course you like all this flat nonsense and think it's just fine (especially if you didn't need to learn iOS or touch-based mobile interfaces for the first time on iOS 7 or 8). Consumers aren't human interface experts. The majority of sales were likely upgraders and new buyers who bought into the iOS platform based on the good name and reputation Apple built prior to Ive screwing things up on iOS 7.

    But keep mindlessly using sales figures to deny that the GUI design change had any negative impact at all. It takes time to burn a good reputation and it'll take one competitor to remember good design in order for every consumer wanting "change" to go flocking to something easier to look at, nicer to look at, and easier to intuit functionality. It might take a while, though, with all the lack of choice out there in flat-obsessed tech land.

    Well the guy that came from Marketing just got promoted to VP User Interface so it looks like you won't get your wish.
  • Reply 110 of 142
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Well the guy that came from Marketing just got promoted to VP User Interface so it looks like you won't get your wish.

    From Marketing to UI VP? ???? I can't speak for anyone else, but in my entire working life, marketing people have always been clueless about how things work in the real world. Maybe this guy is completely different...
  • Reply 111 of 142
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dysamoria View Post



    He needs to be removed from UI design. And yes, it's clear that he sucks at it. He put print marketing people on the job, taking it from Apple's UI team. Ludicrous.



    If you like change for the sake of change, and you're not a usability of UI specialist, of course you like all this flat nonsense and think it's just fine (especially if you didn't need to learn iOS or touch-based mobile interfaces for the first time on iOS 7 or 8). Consumers aren't human interface experts. The majority of sales were likely upgraders and new buyers who bought into the iOS platform based on the good name and reputation Apple built prior to Ive screwing things up on iOS 7.



    But keep mindlessly using sales figures to deny that the GUI design change had any negative impact at all. It takes time to burn a good reputation and it'll take one competitor to remember good design in order for every consumer wanting "change" to go flocking to something easier to look at, nicer to look at, and easier to intuit functionality. It might take a while, though, with all the lack of choice out there in flat-obsessed tech land.



    "I don't like this, therefore it is terrible for everyone".

     

    Yeah, that doesn't work. Sorry.

  • Reply 112 of 142
    kpomkpom Posts: 660member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post





    Not saying you think this but I think some times US titles confuse when viewed by folks in different countries, especially the UK, are looking at American companies, for those not into corporate structures. In the US a VP is not a particularly high level, they often have tons of them. In the UK where a Managing Director is the boss, not a President, it is often perceived that the President and Vice President roles mirror American politics where the VP is next in line, whereas they are more like department heads in fact, or Managers in the UK model.



    True. Banks in particular are notorious for calling just about everyone in middle management some type of "Vice President." "Assistant Vice President" is basically a supervisor. Apple doesn't have "Executive Vice Presidents" so their Senior Vice Presidents are actually very senior, but Chief anything is still above that.

     

    What Ive's deal seems to me is that he is stepping into an expanded strategic role and delegating his managerial and administrative responsibilities to his senior staff, who are now getting the SVP title he had before.

  • Reply 113 of 142
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    kpom wrote: »

    True. Banks in particular are notorious for calling just about everyone in middle management some type of "Vice President." "Assistant Vice President" is basically a supervisor.
    So much like fast food restaurants advertising they're "Now Hiring Managers". Sure they are. :D
  • Reply 114 of 142
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    I knew this news would have absolutely no effect on the stock. /s
  • Reply 115 of 142
    ignominiignomini Posts: 69member
    Oh please, let this be the end of the gray on gray interface, with all helpful features (like the side bar in iTunes) removed. For the life of me, I can't tell what I'm looking at.
  • Reply 116 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    From Marketing to UI VP? ???? I can't speak for anyone else, but in my entire working life, marketing people have always been clueless about how things work in the real world. Maybe this guy is completely different...

    He came from Schiller's org. I believe he has a background in graphic design. Anyway he was heavily involved with Apple Watch.
  • Reply 117 of 142
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    kpom wrote: »

    True. Banks in particular are notorious for calling just about everyone in middle management some type of "Vice President." "Assistant Vice President" is basically a supervisor. Apple doesn't have "Executive Vice Presidents" so their Senior Vice Presidents are actually very senior, but Chief anything is still above that.

    What Ive's deal seems to me is that he is stepping into an expanded strategic role and delegating his managerial and administrative responsibilities to his senior staff, who are now getting the SVP title he had before.

    Just a clarification: Howarth and Dye have been made Vice Presidents still reporting to Ive. I'm assuming Ive will have a similar title to the CFO. The CFO is both an SVP and CFO.
  • Reply 118 of 142
    am8449am8449 Posts: 392member
    I hope this doesn't mean Jony stops working hands-on in the workshop.

    He seems to really like that, and losing his skills in that area would not be good.
  • Reply 119 of 142
    sky kingsky king Posts: 189member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Lord Amhran View Post

     

    Ugh. He needs to be relieved of UI Design duties. UI is clearly not his forté.




    Boy.  Did you ever get that right.  

  • Reply 120 of 142
    sky kingsky king Posts: 189member

    "Whatever happens, I hope this'll mean Apple gets over its obsession with thin and start making laptops that are more feature-rich and less port-poor. Every time I think of getting a MacBook Air, I end up asking myself if there's that much difference between it an my iPad with a keyboard. I draw a blank."

     

    I'm in the opposite situation.  I bought an iPad Mini.  Tis a $500 calendar and reminder.  It's great at that and I like the size.  But when I think about it now...for only a few hundred dollars more I could have had a real OS and a real filing system.  Next time one of my kids needs a gift they get my iPad and I get a real operating system.

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