Apple recently launched the iPhone 17 series for the global markets at the Awe-dropping event. The iPhone 17 series consists of four devices the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Although the event in itself generated a lot of headlines, but one thing or name stood out Abhidur Chowdhury. Abidur is the man credited by Apple as the industrial designer behind it’s latest and slimmest ever iPhone the iPhone 17 Air.
Although some reports say Abhidur Chowdury is a person of Bangladesh origin. Yet this should be taken with a pinch of salt as it has not been verified and it’s not known. However, the iPhone Air by Apple was presented on stage by him, which is unusual in Apple events as, the designers remain behind the scenes. He reportedly described the product as “the thinnest iPhone ever, with the power of Pro inside. A shift you might have missed to observe is, ” His appearance onstage highlights a shift: Apple seems more willing to spotlight individual designers, not just executives. That could inspire more young designers globally.
What is Abidur Chowdhury’s Education?
Abhidur Chowdhury was born and raised in London, United Kingdom where he studied Product Design and Technology at Loughborough University. The university is a well-regarded design and engineering school in the UK.
During his university years, he won several awards including the 3D Hubs Student Grant, the James Dyson Foundation Bursary, the Kenwood Appliances Award and New Designers Kenwood Appliances Award and a Red Dot Design Award in 2016 for his project “Plug and Play.
What did Abhidur do before working for Apple?
The internships and early design work of Abhidur Chowdhury included roles with UK firms such as Cambridge Consultants and Curventa, plus a stint at Layer Design in London.
Then for a brief period (2018-2019), he operated his own consultancy called Abidur Chowdhury Design, collaborating with agencies, start-ups and design projects. In January 2019, he is reported to have joined Apple’s industrial design team in California. The exact roles he held inside Apple prior to the iPhone Air project (which products he contributed to, or whether he led other designs) are not deeply documented in public sources.
How did Abhidur land a job at Apple?
Abhidur Chowdhury’s awards and academic distinctions appear to have helped him land a job at Apple. Moreover, it build credibility in his early career (e.g. Red Dot Award). For design students, submitting work to competitions and building a portfolio can matter. Interning, consulting, freelancing before joining a big company (Apple) is common as varied experiences help build skills.
Although his story might be motivational for students of designing but one must acknowledge his efforts on the iPhone 17 Air project. Although not much is known about the extent of his contribution in building the iPhone 17 Air, yet as an industrial designer, he has a demanding job role. The iPhone 17 Air is the slimmest ever iPhone till date so it presented a new host of challenges for designers and engineers, which through the looks of it appear to be solved.