14 DAY TRIAL // Amidst rumors of OS X 10.10 gaining a visual overhaul commissioned by Human Interface Chief Jonathan Ive, the Cupertino company is preparing to let go one of the very people that helped create the iOS and OS X interfaces, Greg Christie.
Christie is a veteran at Apple. He has been instrumental in the creation of the iOS operating system (referred to as “iPhone OS” at the time of inception), and he helped shape OS X into what it is today, answering only to Craig Federighi. However, a falling out with Ive has left him with no choice but to resign, according to people who are familiar with the situation.
It isn’t clear if Christie has signed the papers yet, but Apple confirmed the planned departure to the Financial Times. The company refrained from offering details about his resignation, as the Cupertino giant doesn’t comment on rumors and speculation.
If the reported reasons are true, Christie would be the second key Apple executive that leaves, or is forced to leave Apple because of clashing with Jony Ive, the company’s design guru. It’s never too clear who is right and who is wrong in these situations, and since we hardly have any facts, speculation is pretty much all we can hear.
One rumor is that Christie doesn’t agree with Jony Ive’s redesign plans for the OS X 10.10 interface.
“When Ive tasked Apple’s Human Interface team with redesigning iOS 7 to include an entirely new look, Christie and Ive reportedly clashed over design direction, after which Ive is said to have circumvented Christie’s leadership of the team during the new operating system’s development,” according to 9to5mac.
It appears Christie is not a fan of Ive’s work with the flat look and feel of iOS 7, and neither are many users out there. However, it appears that Ive is marching forward with his plans to extend the flatness to the desktop.
While we may never know the full scope of the Ive/Christie fallout, we will catch a glimpse of OS X 10.10 at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts on June 2 and ends on June 6.
The Cupertino computer giant usually hands developer preview builds of its next-gen OS X at WWDC, and this year should be no different. Apple most likely has a preview of iOS 8 planned as well. The mobile software is expected to retain the same flat UI while adding new features.