Roger Fingas
One of the people principally responsible for the look and feel of the new Apple TV's interface, Ben Keighran, is reportedly leaving Apple shortly with the eventual goal of founding a new business.
The designer was originally brought over to Apple in 2012 through the latter's acquisition of Chomp, a search startup, Re/code noted. Until now his immediate superior has been Bill Bachman, senior director of Design, iTunes, and Apple TV.
Keighran commented that Apple "looked at many different ways of delivering an awesome TV experience" before settling on its current path, and that his decision to leave Apple has been reluctant.
"I've totally fallen in love with the people, the culture, the product," he said.
The fourth-generation Apple TV is based on tvOS, an evolution of the interface in the third-gen device. While similar in layout, there are cosmetic changes and several new features, most importantly Siri voice control and support for user-installed apps.
Apple has been heavily promoting apps — and by extension, its new set-top — as "the future of television." It's unclear to what extent, if any, Keighran might've been involved in designing Apple's suspended live TV service.
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32 Comments
Honestly, good. ATV4 really offered little fundamental UI improvements from 3. He didn't invent Siri, which is one of the largest changes, nor the app concept. 4 needed a stronger UI lift.
Well at least the Apple TV haters have someone they can demonize now. They can throw darts at his picture because the ATV4 does not have 4K and an optical audio port and any other feature or port that makes the device an abject EPIC fail. Go get him, haters.
Running a business isn't a cakewalk, so good luck to him. Wait until he actually has something to show before throwing him under (or on top of) the bus.
Look and feel means GUI to me. Not the HW decisions, or underlying tech.