The influential designer of various Macs, the iPod, iPhone, Apple Watch and other notorious products is leaving Apple after about 30 years.
Chief design officer Sir Jony Ive, one of the fundamental figures all through Apple’s success, plans to withdraw not long from now to shape his very own independent design firm LoveFrom.
Apple will end up one of the new company’s “primary clients.”
“Jony is a singular figure in the design world and his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated, from 1998’s groundbreaking iMac to the iPhone and the unprecedented ambition of Apple Park, where recently he has been putting so much of his energy and care,” Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “Apple will continue to benefit from Jony’s talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of the brilliant and passionate design team he has built. After so many years working closely together, I’m happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future.”
Apple didn’t officially name a successor however shown that Evans Hankey, who is VP of industrial design, and Alan Dye, vice president of human interface design, will report to chief operating officer Jeff Williams.
ve’s own announcement read to a limited extent, “After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer. Today it is stronger, more vibrant and more talented than at any point in Apple’s history.”
He elaborated in an exclusive interview he gave to the Financial Times. “While I will not be an [Apple] employee, I will still be very involved — I hope for many, many years to come. This just seems like a natural and gentle time to make this change.”
Ive holds more than 5,000 patents and has been recognized with numerous design awards.