Apple’s longest-serving industrial designer Bart Andre has announced his retirement from the Cupertino-based company after serving more than three decades at the brand. He has been credited with giving Apple its aesthetic, we all know and love.
Andre will leave the company later this month. But his leaving has left a sour taste in some people’s mouths as this is not the first OG designer to leave recently.
Bloomberg reported that 18 out of 23 of some of Apple’s most dedicated designers have left and followed their old fearless leader, Jony Ive who was at the helm of Apple’s design arm for years.
Andre holds the most patents at Apple and has put his mark on close to every product launched by Apple since 1992. The Industrial Design branch at Apple is responsible for the look and feel of its products.
Apple is known for its design prowess and its statement in simplicity, so to mark the occasion and the end of an era, here are some of our favourite designs from Bart Andre and the industrial design team.
iMac G3
Also reading this instruction manual on the iMac G3 has got me feeling all types of nostalgia.
iBook
When Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls was gifted an iBook for her 16th birthday, I wanted an Apple iBook and to be quite honest, I still do! The colour choices, the clacky keys on the keyboard and the fact you could tote this technology around like a little handbag make this piece of Apple history iconic. Bravo Bart Andre, a technology fashionista.
iPod Mini
When the iPod Mini came out I was 11 years old and all I could think of was how I desperately wanted the pink model. My childhood bestie got one for her birthday and we used to listen to Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” every Friday after school. This was the first time colour was introduced to iPods and it came in a mini version which made it all the more fun. RIP iPod, you would’ve hated music streaming services.
iPod Classic (6th generation)
The first time I watched Mission Impossible 3, was on an iPod Classic in 2007. When this came out and you could watch movies on it, and whoever owned it would find a way to put movies on it without paying for them. This iPod changed the game again when you could watch videos on it, clearly it was for music videos but sometimes people have alterior motives. I would also like to acknowledge my undying love for the iPod’s clicky wheel, so easy to use, so simple, so sexy. Plus, the sound it makes I think it was ASMR before we knew it was ASMR.
iPhone X
Look, I know some of you might be saying “Where is homage to the first-gen iPhone?”, I get it. But for me, something iconic was when the 10 year anniversary iPhone X launched without a Home Button and confused so many people. I remember trying to unlock my friend’s iPhone X and getting frustrated at the swiping-up gestures, fast forward to seven years later and a button seems so foreign to me. I’ll also point out that I loved the glass back, it was so chic at the time, and as soon as you dropped it, it became a paper cut hazard.
While you’re here, why not check out our daily tech deals, our guide to the best value for money NBN plans, and info on the latest phones from Apple, Google, and Samsung. Head to our dedicated Mobile tab for more.