When Steve Jobs was still in charge at Apple, leadership was a two pronged sword. Jobs would put his magic touch on every product Apple released, and then COO Tim Cook worked in the background and made sure everything ran smoothly in operations and distribution. Now, with Steve gone, this approach is still in place, with Cook leading, and Sir Jony Ive taking over the role held for so long by Jobs.
Give credit where it is due: Apple would have had plenty of success, and made a ton of money standing pat, but Cook realized the creative touch that once permeated throughout Apple had disappeared, and moves needed to be made. With Ive at the helm, creatively speaking, the light has been switched back on, and employees throughout Apple are moving around with expectations and morale unseen since Jobs unveiled the iPad.
Singleton says Tim Cook has proved he’s the right man for the job. He understands Apple at its “core.” He knows that the true legacy of Apple is innovative design, and that requires a proven design genius to lead the company forward. He knows the two-headed model Jobs believed in can still work.
With the next versions of iOS and OS X due to be unveiled at WWDC ’13, the first fruits of Ive’s creative control should be on display. The stage is set for the Sir Jony Ive show, and we’ll get a look at what the future of Apple software design will look like.
