[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong] Apple Chief Executive John Turners (존 터너스) directly referred to collaboration with the design organisation and said design is a core company value.

On Oct. 20 (local time), IT outlet NineToFiveMac reported that Turners, in a recent interview, publicly mentioned his relationship with the design team while explaining changes in his role at Apple and his priorities.

The remarks came as speculation has continued that Turners has been working closely with Apple's design team since he formally took office last month. In the interview, Turners was asked how much he remains involved in design.

He did not directly say he has recently become more deeply involved with the design team. But he said, "At Apple, design means everything to us," making clear that design is one pillar of management priorities.

He also emphasised that he has always worked closely with Apple designers. It was closer to a message that he is continuing his existing way of working rather than distancing himself after becoming CEO. The interview focused not on simple product appearance or individual design decisions, but on the status design holds within Apple.

The remarks are seen as a point that can help gauge the direction of Turners' leadership. Immediately after his inauguration, market and industry attention was focused on how direct he would be in product development, organisational management and design decision-making. Turners explained his new role, the transition process and his current priorities in the interview, and did not leave out design in that process.

He again confirmed in particular that he has always worked closely with designers. That was read to mean he did not create new touchpoints with the design organisation after taking office as CEO, but is maintaining a collaborative relationship that has continued from before. At a company like Apple, which designs products by integrating hardware, software and user experience, the CEO's level of involvement in design can also be tied to product strategy.

Meanwhile, what was released this time is the full video, not a partial excerpt. It went beyond the level of previously released quotations, allowing a broader look at the context in which Turners spoke about changes in his role and his view of design. Throughout the interview, Turners described leadership in a period of transition while reaffirming the centrality of design.

Ultimately, the core of the message is that Apple's new CEO views design not as a peripheral function but as an element tied to the company's identity. Turners did not mention a direct organisational overhaul or specific product plans, but his phrase, "Design means everything to us," and his references to ongoing collaboration with designers suggested the possibility that design will continue to carry weight in future products and organisational management.