DEVOURED
AirPods Max designer reveals project details in new interview
Former Apple designer Eugene Whang revealed AirPods Max's five-year development treated the headband, ear cushions, and case as three separate products.
What: Eugene Whang, who spent 22 years at Apple working on iPhone, iPod nano, and AirPods, disclosed that AirPods Max took five years to develop. The team tested hundreds of ear cushion variations to fit different head and ear shapes, intentionally omitted logos from the design, and benefited from Jony Ive protecting designers from business pressures. Whang later joined Ive's design firm, LoveFrom.
Why it matters: This reveals Apple's design methodology of extreme iteration and componentization, where individual parts receive the same design attention as full products. It also shows how Apple's design culture under Ive prioritized craft over commercial constraints.
Decoder
- LoveFrom: Design firm founded by Jony Ive after leaving Apple in 2019, focusing on creative projects with a small team of former Apple designers.
Original article
Former Apple designer Eugene Whang revealed that the AirPods Max took five years to develop, with the team treating the headband, case, and ear cushions as separate products and testing hundreds of cushion variations to fit different head and ear shapes. He also said Apple intentionally avoided placing a logo on the headphones, credited Jony Ive for shielding designers from business pressures, and reflected on his 22-year Apple career working on products like the iPhone, iPod nano, and AirPods before later joining Ive's design firm, LoveFrom.
Explore all 67 articles in today's digest
Fresh dev news, AI-digested daily. Never miss a trend at devoured.fyi