Photo by Daniel L. Lu.
Apple will end the role of Industrial Design Chief following the departure of former top designer Evans Hankey.
The leaders of Apple's design team helped the company become a tech behemoth thanks to the sleek look of its devices.
- Apple's
design chiefs have been influential and high-profile members of the
company since co-founder Steve Jobs re-joined Apple in 1997.
- Apple broke up its design team in 2015 when former design chief Jony Ive stepped back from the role to start his own company.
- Hankey took charge of Apple's "industrial design" team, while Alan Dye leads "human interface design" at the company.
- Apple has decided against hiring a replacement for Hankey, reports Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
- The team overseen by Hankey will now report directly to Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer.
- Several top designers have left Apple since 2015.
