Apple design chief Jony Ive revealed in the summer that he planned to leave the company this year. While the exact timeline wasn’t clear when the announcement dropped in June, he’s now no longer featured on Apple’s leadership page, as The Verge pointed out. That indicates he is formally gone from the company.
Ive joined Apple in the early ‘90s and took charge of its design efforts in 1996. He played a critical role in Apple’s colossal success over the last couple of decades, having had a significant hand in shaping products including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air and Apple Watch. He also helped design Apple’s software, packaging and “spaceship” campus, Apple Park. Chief operating officer Jeff Williams is now overseeing software and hardware design.
Apple and Ive haven’t completely severed their ties, however. When Ive announced he was leaving Apple, he said it’d be a client of his new design firm LoveFrom. He’s starting it with longtime collaborator Marc Newson, who also worked on Apple Watch. The scope of Ive’s relationship with Apple remains to be seen, but given his immense influence in the company’s triumphant run, it’ll surely be hoping to keep him involved as much as possible.
[“source=forbes”]
