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> I don’t worry that Apple is in trouble because Jony Ive is leaving; I worry that Apple is in trouble because he’s not being replaced. I'm sorry, but I don't

> I don’t worry that Apple is in trouble because Jony Ive is leaving; I worry that Apple is in trouble because he’s not being replaced. I'm sorry, but I don't understand why out of all of the skill sets that go into creating a product, "design" should be the only one with a dedicated C-level executive. To me it seems much healthier for the needs of the mechanical engineers (for example) to have equal weight with the needs of the designers.

armadsen 7y ago
Because design is extremely and uniquely important to Apple’s success compared to its competitors. It’s why you know who Jony Ive is and have no idea who is responsible for mechanical engineering at Apple. (I say this as an engineer myself.)
- Skunkleton 7y ago
  The importance of design at apple is completely irrefutable. All I am saying is that Apple should avoid more butterfly switch fiascos, and one way to do that is to put the designers on a level playing field.
  - azernik 7y ago
    Industrial design includes functionality. Ives' problem wasn't that he put design over other things; it's that he put form over function in his design decisions and had a very narrow set of design principles (minimalism, thinness) that he followed too religiously.
- HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
  How much does design impact what you are and are not allowed to do? Are you, as an engineer, required to use Macs, or can you use a PC as well?
rorykoehler 7y ago
Designing is strategy engineering is detail. Engineering sits one level below design in the decision chain. It's the same reason the CTO is C-suite and the VP of Engineering isn't.
cmyr 7y ago
"Design isn't what it looks like, design is how it works". That is: the idea of some clear separation (or worse, tension) between mechanical engineering and "design" is, to my best understanding, antithetical to what has made Apple an interesting company that makes interesting products. Mechanical engineers are doing design work. So are metallurgists and material scientists, as well as typographers. This is a late thursday press release, and this is an uncharacteristically quick response from Gruber. He's shooting from the hip, but I think he has a valid concern, and it's a concern I suspect is shared by lots of folks who have been using apple computers for a long time: who is actually responsible for making product decisions?

armadsen 7y ago

Because design is extremely and uniquely important to Apple’s success compared to its competitors. It’s why you know who Jony Ive is and have no idea who is responsible for mechanical engineering at Apple. (I say this as an engineer myself.)

Skunkleton 7y ago
The importance of design at apple is completely irrefutable. All I am saying is that Apple should avoid more butterfly switch fiascos, and one way to do that is to put the designers on a level playing field.
- azernik 7y ago
  Industrial design includes functionality. Ives' problem wasn't that he put design over other things; it's that he put form over function in his design decisions and had a very narrow set of design principles (minimalism, thinness) that he followed too religiously.
HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
How much does design impact what you are and are not allowed to do? Are you, as an engineer, required to use Macs, or can you use a PC as well?

rorykoehler 7y ago

Designing is strategy engineering is detail. Engineering sits one level below design in the decision chain. It's the same reason the CTO is C-suite and the VP of Engineering isn't.

cmyr 7y ago

"Design isn't what it looks like, design is how it works". That is: the idea of some clear separation (or worse, tension) between mechanical engineering and "design" is, to my best understanding, antithetical to what has made Apple an interesting company that makes interesting products. Mechanical engineers are doing design work. So are metallurgists and material scientists, as well as typographers. This is a late thursday press release, and this is an uncharacteristically quick response from Gruber. He's shooting from the hip, but I think he has a valid concern, and it's a concern I suspect is shared by lots of folks who have been using apple computers for a long time: who is actually responsible for making product decisions?