An Apple designer shared details about the development of the AirPods Max

How the AirPods Max Were Made – A Former Apple Designer’s Story

Former Apple device designer Eugene Whang (known as Eugene Wong) worked at the company for 22 years before following his mentor Jonny Ive to the new firm LoveFrom. He shared details about the development of the AirPods Max headphones.

What Had to Be Considered
When creating the AirPods Max, the design team faced many challenges. It wasn’t just “design” – they had to think through three separate elements:

1. Headband – the outer shell.
2. Case – the holder for the headphones.
3. Ear cushions – the inserts that contact the ears.

The most difficult of these turned out to be the last point. People have different head shapes and sizes, so specialists had to test hundreds of ear cushion variants to achieve universality and comfort. Wong admitted that this was “the hardest” part of the project.

Logo – Not on the AirPods Max
Apple decided to leave the headphones without a corporate logo. According to the designer, the company concluded that “branding people’s heads is pointless” and it’s better to focus on product quality.

How Wong Got into Apple
Wong got the chance to work at Apple simply by calling the company. He assumed Jonny Ive was always busy, so he chose from the directory a designer with “the friendliest face.” “I thought: why not reach out? They’re just people,” he recalls.

Experience Beyond AirPods Max
While working at Apple, Wong participated in creating iconic devices such as the iPod nano, iPhone, and regular AirPods. He also highlighted Jonny Ive’s role: protecting designers from business pressure.

The Company’s Path and Personal Story
Over the years, Apple evolved from a “rebellion” into a dominant tech powerhouse and global economic leader. After Jonny Ive left Apple to found LoveFrom, Wong followed him but left the company a few years later due to family circumstances.

Thus, the story of the AirPods Max is not only about technical details but also about people, their design approaches, and the values that shaped the product.