Apple’s oldest-serving industrial designer is set to retire from the company soon, adding to a wave of recent high-profile departures from the company. The purported exit also means that the legendary team assembled under Jony Ive has nearly entirely left Apple, Bloomberg reports.
The designer in question is Bart Andre, who joined the company in 1992 alongside Jony Ive. Andre was reportedly one of the last few designers at the company from the Ive era and has been a commandeering force in establishing Apple’s renowned design aesthetic across many of its products. Andre has been an active force within the company over his 30-year tenure, having also been named as a holder of most of the company’s patents throughout this period.
In the past few years, Andre was partially responsible for managing Apple’s design team following the departure of Evans Hankey, the company’s former Vice President of Industrial Design. Andre’s departure comes months after that of Peter Russell-Clarke, another senior industrial designer who worked at Apple for over 20 years.
Discover new horizons, always connected with eSIM
Travel the world stress and hassle-free with the best eSIM service available. Enjoy unlimited data, 5G speeds, and global coverage for affordable prices with Holafly. And, enjoy an exclusive 5% discount.
Following Evans Hankey’s departure, Apple got rid of her position altogether and reorganized the product design team under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Jeff WilliamsJeff Williams is Apple's Chief Operating Officer, making him primarily responsible for the company's worldwide operations and procurement. Born in 1963, Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Duke University. Williams has held his current role at Apple since December 2015. Among leading worldwide operations, Williams is also responsible.... According to the report, there is growing discontent among the remaining members of the design team due to the shift from a design-led to an operations-led leadership. Adding fuel to the fire, cost-cutting initiatives have also brought about changes in the team’s operational approach, which further degraded the team’s morale.
Most of Apple’s ex-industrial designers who didn’t retire have joined Ive’s LoveFrom design consultancy following his departure in 2019. The firm collaborated with various clients, including Airbnb and Ferrari. Notably, LoveFrom had a design contract with Apple, which concluded in 2022. A product with publicly known ties to Ive and LoveFrom is the most recent iMac redesign, which launched in 2021.
