Future Apple CEO John Ternus to return design to a central role at the company

John Ternus, who will take over as CEO of Apple on September 1, 2026, intends to significantly strengthen the influence of the industrial design team. According to Bloomberg, the new leader plans to restore designers' status as one of the key decision-making centers within the corporation.

Returning to the legacy of Jobs and Ive

During the era of Steve Jobs and legendary designer Jony Ive, the design division largely determined the direction of Apple's product development. The team's decisions directly influenced the creation of new devices, their form factors, materials, and overall user experience. Many of the company's iconic products — from the iPod and iPhone to the MacBook — were born within the walls of the design studio.

However, after Ive's gradual withdrawal from operational management and his eventual departure from Apple in 2019, the role of design noticeably diminished. Priority was increasingly given to operations, finance, and engineering departments. As a result, the company became less likely to offer radically new forms and significant design changes. Many products, including the Apple Watch and the Mac lineup, have retained their recognizable appearance for a long time.

Ternus's plans

According to sources close to management, Ternus considers this state of affairs suboptimal. One of his first steps after taking office may be to find a new head of industrial design. This person would be given expanded authority and would directly participate in strategic decisions at the highest management level.

The new design leader is expected to be more than just a manager — they are expected to be an initiator of breakthrough product concepts. Their task is to restore Apple's boldness in experimenting with form factors, materials, and user experiences that once made the company a market leader.

In brief

Future Apple CEO John Ternus plans to restore the industrial design team's key role in the company, the position it held under Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. This is expected to lead to more innovative and daring products. The search for a new head of design with expanded authority could become one of Ternus's first significant decisions after officially taking office in September 2026.