John Ternus, who is set to become the next CEO of Apple later this year, is reportedly planning to restore the influence of the company’s design team, a role that diminished significantly during Tim Cook’s tenure. According to a detailed analysis of Apple’s corporate structure over the past decade, the departure of Jony Ive, the legendary designer who worked closely with Steve Jobs, led to a gradual shift in power from design to operations and finance. Ternus, who has been deeply involved in hardware engineering and product development, is now positioning the design group as a central pillar of Apple’s future.
The report traces the evolution of Apple’s design leadership from the Jobs era, when Ive had unparalleled operational authority—second only to Jobs himself. In Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs, it is noted that Ive ‘has more operational power than anyone at Apple apart from myself, because the way I set it up.’ This arrangement gave the industrial design team the ability to dictate product roadmaps from the top down, ensuring that aesthetics, materials, and user experience were paramount. After Ive left Apple in 2019, oversight of the design team was handed to Jeff Williams, then the COO, marking a structural shift that many observers saw as a demotion for design.
Under Williams’ leadership, the design team’s influence on product direction was tempered by financial and operational considerations. The company’s massive supply chain and focus on services became more prominent, and critics argued that Apple products were becoming less innovative in their physical design. The departure of several senior designers further eroded the team’s stature. For a time, Apple did not even have a senior design role listed on its leadership page, until recently adding Molly Anderson and Steve Lemay to that page. This reflected a broader corporate culture where efficiency and margin optimization sometimes trumped bold design choices.
John Ternus, who has been Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, is now seen as the leader who can reverse this trend. He has a strong track record in product development, overseeing the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon, the design of the M-series chips, and the creation of the MacBook Pro with the notch. According to insiders, Ternus has already invested considerable time with the industrial design group, attending their daily stand-ups and reviewing prototypes personally. He has been quoted as saying, ‘The most beautifully designed thing that most customers own is an Apple product. We’re going to make sure that stays the case.’ This commitment indicates that design will once again have a seat at the executive table, with the final say on product features and aesthetics.
The shift comes at a crucial time for Apple. The company is preparing to launch its first foldable iPhone in the fall, an event that Ternus will personally introduce. This product is expected to redefine Apple’s smartphone lineup and will be a test of whether the company can reclaim its reputation for groundbreaking industrial design. Additionally, the MacBook Neo, a recent design success attributed to Ternus’s leadership, demonstrates the kind of integrated hardware and software elegance that Apple is known for. The Neo, with its ultra-light chassis and mini-LED display, was praised for its balance of performance and portability, and it is seen as a precursor to the design revival.
The broader context of this shift is the changing nature of the tech industry. As smartphones mature, design differentiation becomes more critical for sustaining consumer interest. Apple’s competitors have pushed boundaries with foldables, under-display cameras, and novel form factors. By restoring design’s authority, Ternus aims to ensure that Apple remains a leader in product innovation rather than a follower. This also aligns with the company’s ecosystem strategy, where hardware and software are tightly integrated. A strong design team can drive consistency across devices, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to the Vision Pro headset.
Historically, design at Apple was never just about appearance. Jobs and Ive emphasized the entire user experience, from the feel of the materials to the intuitiveness of the interface. Ive’s influence extended to the choice of adhesives, the thickness of glass, and the weight of the device. After his departure, some of that detail-oriented culture waned. For instance, the MacBook Pro’s butterfly keyboard was a design that prioritized thinness over reliability, and the iPhone 12’s flat edges, while stylish, were a departure from the seamless curves of earlier models. These decisions were sometimes driven by supply chain constraints or cost targets rather than pure design philosophy.
Ternus, who has a background in mechanical engineering, is known for his deep involvement in the details. He helped oversee the development of the iPhone 12’s ceramic shield, the MagSafe system, and the ProMotion display technology. His experience in hardware engineering gives him the credibility to lead a design-driven organization. Unlike Cook, who came from operations, Ternus is a product person at heart. His promotion signals that Apple’s board values technical excellence and design integrity over operational efficiency.
The report also highlights that Ternus has been building relationships with key design talent, including those who were considering leaving the company. By showing that design will again be a priority, he hopes to retain top designers and attract new ones. The design team, which at its peak under Ive had about 20 core members, has seen attrition, but Ternus is working to rebuild its size and influence. He has also advocated for giving the design team earlier input into product development cycles, rather than having them polish designs that are already set by engineering and marketing.
Looking ahead, Ternus’s first major test will be the foldable iPhone. This product requires innovative solutions for hinge design, display durability, and software adaptation. If successful, it will demonstrate that Apple can still surprise the market with novel hardware. The foldable market is currently dominated by Samsung, but Apple’s entry could catalyze widespread adoption. The design team’s role in this project is central: the phone must feel premium in both folded and unfolded states, with minimal crease and consistent performance. Ternus’s focus on design suggests that Apple will prioritize user experience over rushing to market.
Beyond the foldable iPhone, Ternus’s vision includes a continued emphasis on sustainability through design. He has spoken about using fewer materials, making products easier to repair, and reducing waste. The design team can play a key role here by choosing recyclable materials and designing for disassembly. This aligns with Apple’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. By embedding design thinking into the company’s sustainability initiatives, Ternus can create products that are both beautiful and environmentally responsible.
The implications of this leadership change extend beyond Apple. The tech industry often takes cues from Apple’s approach to product design. If Ternus succeeds in re-establishing design authority, other companies may also re-evaluate the balance between design and operations. In recent years, many firms have prioritized speed to market and cost reduction, leading to incremental updates rather than leaps. Apple’s renewed focus on design could spur a new wave of innovation across the industry, as competitors try to match the company’s aesthetic and functional standards.
In summary, John Ternus’s upcoming tenure as CEO marks a pivotal moment for Apple. By restoring the importance of the design team, he is signaling a return to the values that made Apple iconic under Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. The coming months will reveal whether this strategy can yield products that capture the public’s imagination and in the process reaffirm Apple’s position as the world’s most valuable technology company. For now, the design team is once again being treated as a strategic asset, not just a support function. Ternus’s actions, from spending time with designers to promising beautiful products, suggest that Apple is ready to prioritize craftsmanship and innovation once more.
Source: 9to5Mac News