JONATHAN IVE’s Previously-Announced APPLE EXIT Took Place Sometime This Week

Last June, the global computer and tech giant apple dropped a bombshell concerning of their upper echelons of leadership. In June, Jonathan Ive gave advance notice that he is leaving Apple after close to three decades with the company, having joined in 1992 and helping to usher in a new design direction for their products, from PowerBooks to the “i” gadgets. This momentous contribution has led to Ive becoming Chief Design Officer for Apple, until he revealed his plans to leave and start his own design startup. He said his departure would happen late in 2019. It occurred this week.

The Verge has it that Jonathan Ive’s planned departure as Chief Design Officer for Apple, made public nearly half a year ago, took place on the final week of November. The computer and tech giant was rather vague on when the British industrial designer actually bowed out. A clue however was found in the Apple leadership page of their official website. As early as Tuesday, November 26, the section identifying Ive as the company CDO had lost the man’s photograph, though his name and title remained. But even that was finally removed completely Thursday, November 29. Ive leaving could reasonably have happened between those days.

But it is not as if the former top design guy of Apple has cut all ties with his longtime business family. His new startup LoveFrom, which he co-founded with Marc Newson, is still going to keep Apple as one of its top design clients. And as Apple CEO Tim Cook elaborates, it was not as if Ive did not assemble a formidable design team under him during his tenure, which will then pick up the slack once he has left. To be specific, the chief responsibilities of software and hardware will now be given to Apple COO Jeff Williams.

Post-Apple, Jony Ive and Newson have their own little projects outside of their expected plate of design projects for the tech giant. There are rumors that they may finally begin serious consideration in designing a concept for the “Apple Car,” in response to Ive’s personal opinion that design conventions for recent automobiles are rather lacking.

Image from Express & Star