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Whitney Richardson is a strategist, researcher and curator whose work explores how people around the world see themselves — and how they are seen. As an Aesthetics Scientist at Apple, she leads research and programming that bring together engineers, artists and cultural experts to study how identity and aesthetics shape our relationship with images and technology.

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Her contributions have helped inform camera features used by millions of iPhone users. Most recently, she played a key role in the development of Next-Gen Photographic Styles on the iPhone 16 — a feature praised by Vogue, PetaPixel and Hypebeast for advancing more inclusive and customizable imaging experiences.

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Before joining Apple, Ms. Richardson spent a decade at The New York Times, where she produced global events at the intersection of journalism, technology and culture. She led high-profile programming at major international forums including COP26 in Glasgow, the World Economic Forum, the Paris Peace Forum and the Women’s Forum. She also developed cultural activations at SXSW, Photo London and Paris Photo, bringing public attention to urgent global issues through conversation and visual storytelling.

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Earlier in her career, she worked as a photo editor on the Business and Technology desks, where she commissioned photographers and videographers around the world. Her assignments focused on stories shaping the global economy — including the rise of robotics, WhatsApp’s role in India, and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.

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Ms. Richardson has shared her work and perspective at Harvard University, Yale School of Art, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, UNESCO and the World Press Photo Foundation.