Apple continues to experience a significant departure from its design team, particularly those who worked closely under the legendary Jony Ive, with the latest exit coming from Duncan Kerr (via Bloomberg).
Kerr, a longstanding member of Ive’s team, has notified Apple of his impending departure, according to the publication. He joined Apple in 1999 and has played a pivotal role in shaping several iterations of Apple’s iconic devices.
While Apple has declined to comment on Kerr’s departure, this move further depletes Ive’s once-thriving team, which has undergone a steady stream of exits since Ive’s departure in 2019.
Previously, notable designers like Jody Akana, Joe Tan, and Anthony Ashcroft have left, followed by others such as Andrea Williams, Jeremy Bataillou, and Eugene Whang. The trend continued over the past year with departures including Bart Andre, Colin Burns, Shota Aoyagi, and Peter Russell-Clarke.
Even Evans Hankey, Ive’s successor as Apple’s head of industrial design, departed last year, leaving Alan Dye as the remaining chief of interface design.
Many former Apple designers have transitioned to LoveFrom, Ive’s new design venture, where they are involved in projects with renowned brands like Airbnb, Ferrari, and Moncler.
The dwindling of Apple’s design team has raised concerns, particularly regarding its direct reporting to Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams instead of a design-focused manager, causing dissatisfaction among artists and sculptors within the team.
This ongoing brain drain within Apple’s design division has posed challenges for the company, particularly in replacing key figures like Evans Hankey directly.
