“… putting the industrial design team under COO Jeff Williams not only makes sense but will be critical for Apple to continue to develop great products and make them with the kind of quality and in the large quantities that their customers demand.
“That is why putting this team under Williams, and not Cook is important for Apple’s future. Jony Ives was unique in that he understood great design and how to create products that could be made in Apple’s unique world-class manufacturing system. Designers under him were taught his way of thinking but may not have the skills or experience to create designs that also match the criteria needed to manufacture them elegantly and in huge quantities.
“Apple pairing these designers under Jeff Williams and operations shows Apple covets the two disciplines being coupled together and redesigned the org chart to reflect this strategic thinking.”
MacDailyNews Take: Even the first iMac had to be sourced, manufactured and costed, we suppose.