John Ternus Says He Still Works Side by Side With Apple's Designers

John Ternus Says He Still Works Side by Side With Apple's Designers

A CEO Who Still Sits in the Studio

In a full video interview with TIME released on October 20, filmed at Apple Park after this year's iPhone keynote, Apple CEO John Ternus was asked directly: "How involved with design are you still?" His answer was emphatic. A mechanical engineer by background, he said product designers work most closely with industrial designers, "so I've been working hand in hand with industrial designers at Apple since I started. And it's an amazing relationship."

Design Means Everything, He Says

"What’s so special about this place is design is at the center of it. Design means everything to us," Ternus said. He added that Apple's designers, on both the software and hardware sides, genuinely understand engineering, while engineers hold a deep appreciation for design. TIME reports that since taking over as CEO on September 1, Ternus has devoted much of his early tenure to design, spending multiple days a week in the studio with the industrial-design and human-interface teams.

From Cinema Display to Foldable iPhone

Ternus joined Apple's Product Design team in 2001 after designing virtual-reality headsets at Virtual Research Systems, following his 1997 mechanical-engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His first assignments included the Apple Cinema Display. He became a vice president of hardware engineering in 2013, senior vice president in January 2021, and CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook. His path through Mac, iPad, AirPods and iPhone makes him Apple's most hardware-rooted chief executive in years.

Usefulness Is the Test of Good Design

Asked how Apple separates design that improves a product from decoration, Ternus said cross-functional teams judge every idea against one question: will it make the product better for the user? Ideas that are frivolous or distracting are cut. "We focus on usefulness and utility and capability," he said. The foldable iPhone Duo, he explained, came out of that process: hardware and software teams jointly built its display engine and moved the main controls to the right side of the screen. The hinge contains more than 100 small interior parts, and the surface uses a matte, light-deflecting finish the team refined rather than settling for flawed materials.

Room Left for a Little Whimsy

That discipline still leaves space for play. Ternus pointed to the animation that unfolds across the Duo's inner screen when it opens: "That's not a functional thing, but it's something that just makes you feel good every time you see it. Sometimes you just want a little whimsy." He also showed off Kid Cue, which plays Snoopy and other Peanuts characters on the outer display to catch a child's attention during photos. "It'll kind of capture your child's attention while you're taking a picture and get them to look at the camera," he said.

What His Design-First Tenure Signals

Ternus closed the interview with a pledge of continuity: "Design has always been at the core of this company, and I think our respect for the user and for building products that are helpful and beneficial to people — that is job one. We're going to continue on that." With the iPhone Duo launch, Apple Intelligence ambitions and supply pressures converging, the message doubles as a management signal: engineering and design stay first under the new CEO.