Apple CEO John Ternus is placing a renewed focus on design as he shapes his leadership of the company. The strategy marks a shift from the priorities that defined much of Tim Cook’s tenure.
Cook concentrated heavily on growth, manufacturing and operations. In contrast, Ternus appears determined to strengthen areas where he believes Apple has more room to improve.
Ternus Takes a Hands-On Approach
Ternus reportedly decided that he should lead Apple according to his own strengths rather than copy Cook. Meanwhile, other senior executives now handle areas that received much of Cook’s attention.
CFO Kevan Parekh oversees financial strategy, while COO Sabih Khan focuses on the supply chain. This structure gives Ternus more time to work closely with Apple’s engineering and design teams.
Moreover, Ternus reportedly spends time inside Apple’s design studio several times each week. His approach differs sharply from Cook’s, as the report says Cook visited the studio for about an hour each month.
Ternus already knows the design organization through his previous role leading hardware engineering. Therefore, his deeper involvement builds on years of experience working alongside Apple’s designers.
Apple Rebuilds Its Design Leadership
Apple’s design organization has changed considerably since Jony Ive left the company in 2019. Industrial design and human interface design also operated under separate leaders rather than one executive overseeing both groups.
Before the CEO transition, Cook transferred responsibility for design to Ternus. Consequently, Apple’s design chiefs became central to Ternus’ leadership structure.
However, rebuilding the group presents challenges. Apple has lost designers to other technology companies, including OpenAI. The departures have reduced the depth of its design organization.
Apple Strengthens Its Existing Team
Rather than recruit an external chief design officer, Apple reportedly plans to strengthen its current leadership.
The company has raised the profiles of industrial design VP Molly Anderson and software design leader Steve Lemay. Both appeared prominently during the iPhone Duo launch, as shown on page three of the report. Apple is also hiring additional designers.
