Designer in Apple Leadership

Jony Ive has parted ways with Apple. It's hard to find another designer of comparable calibre, but lack of designer in Apple leadership is a real problem. For many companies, design is shallow and only enters product development as cosmetics, but Apple's legendary status isn't built on such convention, but a process that's directed by design. Whether it's dramatic successes like aluminum enclosure, or fantastic failures like the touch bar, design enters early and plays a decisive role in shaping the product. But it's hard to place a final say on design if the designer isn't on the leadership team.

A often overlooked management practice is with responsibility comes power, and vice versa. Responsibility without power is slavery that produces subpar results. Power without responsibility is tyranny that introduces corruption. If Apple wants to charge designers with the responsibility of a well-designed product, it should give them a place in the leadership team.