Tim Cook will now lead Apple’s design team as big visual changes take shape

Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping into a new role, and it's a big one. He will soon take charge of the company’s design team, something that hasn’t happened before. Until now, the design team reported to Apple’s COO Jeff Williams. But with Williams set to retire later this year, Apple has confirmed that the team will report directly to Cook.

This is happening at a time when Apple is going through a major design shift. The company is introducing a new visual style called Liquid Glass, which will be used across iPhones, iPads, Macs and other Apple products. It’s a fresh look that brings more transparency, depth and movement to the software. Buttons will appear like glass, and you’ll see content scrolling underneath them in real time.

Alan Dye, Apple’s VP of Human Interface Design, says Liquid Glass mixes the look of glass with a smooth, interactive feel that only Apple can pull off. The idea is to make even simple things on screen feel more engaging and fun.

Apple says this is its biggest design update ever. It’s inspired by the Vision Pro headset, which uses similar shiny, transparent effects. Recent beta versions show Apple has slightly dialed back the shine by adding a bit more frost for better readability.

There are also whispers about the new design language influencing hardware. Bloomberg has reported that Apple is working on a special edition iPhone for its 20th anniversary in 2027. This “Glasswing” iPhone could have curved glass on all sides, slimmer bezels and no visible cutout on the screen.

The unified design approach might also extend to upcoming devices like a thinner iPhone model, a foldable iPhone and new products like smart home displays or smart glasses.

After Jony Ive left Apple, the design team had been reporting to Jeff Williams. Now with Tim Cook stepping in, it shows just how seriously Apple is taking design once again.