‘function now more important than design’

Apple is known for its slick devices, where every detail has been thought of. But the time when Apple chose form over function is over, argues Bloombergjournalist Alex Webb.

How important does Apple still consider design?

In an article on the renowned website Bloomberg Webb states that something has changed since Jony Ive left in 2019. For many years, the former chief designer at Apple was responsible for the design of Apple products, including the iPod, iMac, iPad and iPhone.

During his time, Apple had a very design-oriented approach to product development. Form was often more important than function. In many cases, the appearance of a device was more important than the ease of use. This sometimes created tensions within Apple, Webb says. ‘It was felt that perhaps too much priority was given to aesthetics.’

Perfect example

With Jony Ive gone, Apple seems to have changed course. The new MacBook Pro is a perfect example of this, Webb believes. All (controversial) choices made five years ago under Jony Ive’s leadership have disappeared with the latest MacBook Pro. Take the butterfly keyboard, which made the device thinner, but was also very error-prone and not good for typing.

Apple also introduced the Touch Bar in 2016, a touch strip above the keyboard. It sure was beautiful, but functional? “It’s almost impossible to use without looking,” Webb says. The most controversial was the choice to equip the MacBook with only one type of connection: USB-C. The lack of the other ports made the laptop thinner, but it wasn’t handy.

Function over design

With the new MacBook Pro 2021, Apple is again choosing function over design. The device is thicker and the HDMI port and SD card reader are back, as are the physical F keys. Earlier, Apple changed the design of the iPhone. “The curved edges have been ditched,” Webb says. “They could cause the screen to crack if it fell on its side.”

The journalist has another example: the Apple TV remote. “The symmetry made it visually appealing, but often caused users to accidentally press the wrong buttons if they were holding it wrong.” The design was renewed in May 2021.

Bee iPhoned Let’s hope the pendulum doesn’t swing back too far in the direction of practicality, because the appeal of Apple devices is partly due to the beautiful, minimalist design. Do you prefer form over function, or are you happy with the design choices Apple made with the iPhone and MacBook Pro? Let us know below in the comments!