Following iOS 7 flattening, Apple changes Jony Ive’s title to SVP, Design

By Christian Zibreg on Jun 17, 2013

This is quite interesting. Just as Apple has taken the wraps off iOS 7 which has undergone a major facelift under the guidance of Apple’s Jony Ive, the design guru’s official title on the company’s Leadership section has been tweaked, going from Senior Vice President of Industrial Design to just Senior Vice President of Design.

The subtle but signifiable change of nomenclature is for sure meant to signal Ive’s tremendously important and much broader responsibilities at Apple, that now encompass both hardware and software design across the company… Read More

 

Outspoken Apple analyst calls iOS 7 changes most important in iPhone history

By Ed Sutherland on Jun 11, 2013

Love it or hate it, Apple’s newly-unveiled iOS 7 will breathe new life into the aging iPhone, argued one analyst late Monday. Unlike hardware changes which have a short lifetime in terms of public curiosity, phone software updates are mesmerizing.

In a note to investors, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster writes that the changes within iOS 7 will spark renewed interest in the iPhone, which some felt was being overshadowed by its Android rivals, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4… Read More

 

Poll: who’s excited about black & white iOS 7 facelift?

By Christian Zibreg on May 27, 2013

If you’ve been following Apple stories lately, chances are you came across a news piece last week that calls for a black and white iOS 7 redesign.

You know, the facelift reportedly in the works under the guidance of Apple’s legendary design guru Jony Ive. It should be, in a word, awesome.

As asserted by the very reliable writer Mark Gurman, Ive not only got rid of skeumorphism, he also eliminated the shine and transparent gloss for one that’s flat and mostly black and white.

And with two weeks until Apple’s June 10 keynote at WWDC 2013, we’ll soon find out just how deep the rabbit hole of visual changes in iOS 7 go. For now, we’re asking you to join the discussion and tell us where you stand on the black & white iOS 7 revamp… Read More

 

Bloomberg: Apple’s design guru Jony Ive ‘methodically reviewing’ iOS 7 overhaul

By Christian Zibreg on May 1, 2013

It’s been six months since Tim Cook reshuffled Apple’s leadership team, firing iOS architect Scott Forstall over his abrasive management style and unwillingness to collaborate with other members of the executive team, namely Apple’s industrial design guru, the 46-year-old Jonathan Ive.

As a result of the shake-up, Ive has assumed much broader responsibilities that now encompass all of Apple’s design, both the look and feel of its hardware and software.

Apple’s press release stated that America’s most influential Briton “will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company” and today Bloomberg sheds more light on the difficulties Ive faces in the massively challenging overhaul of iOS 7, Apple’s mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPods… Read More

 

Bono: Apple’s Jony Ive is Obi-Wan of design

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 19, 2013

Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most interesting people for 2013 is packed with profiles of technology leaders. Apple design guru Jony Ive is among those listed, described as a Star Wars’ Obi-Wan leading a team of Jedi employees.

The thread of Apple’s innovation runs through other profiles, including Samsung’s CEO, who is viewed by a former executive of the iPhone maker as carrying on the tradition of Steve Jobs… Read More

 

Jony Ive envisions mail window, media controls and more for iPad’s Smart Cover

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 4, 2013

Who thought Apple’s Smart Cover, first designed to simply protect the iPad screen without adding too much bulk to the device’s form factor, would grow to become another platform for the firm’s design guru, Jony Ive? A new patent application which identifies Ive as one of the inventors suggests the Smart Cover could become a mini screen, displaying new email and controlling music playback, among other possibilities.

In a patent filing published earlier this week by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Apple includes a redesigned Smart Cover which includes buttons to control your iTunes playback, along with a window where you can quickly check new e-mails or incoming texts… Read More

 

Jony Ive on Apple product naming, David Beckham connection

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 20, 2013

Apple’s London-born VP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive was last week honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom’s children TV, BBC’s Blue Peter programme. BBC’s Barney Harwood briefly interviewed Ive on his design work and journalist and recording engineer Tom Davenport has posted a video where Ive discusses how product naming philosophy can affect the design process. And as 9to5Mac noted, Ive also reveals a little known connection to David Beckham. Another video right after the break… Read More

 

Jony Ive honored with exclusive gold Blue Peter Badge

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 15, 2013

Apple’s head of industrial design, London-born Jonathan Ive, has been honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom’s children TV, BBC’s Blue Peter programme. First broadcast in 1958, Blue Peter is the world’s longest-running children’s television programme that educates the youngsters on craft tips, kids art and more.

Ive was honored with an exclusive golden Blue Peter badge and BBC’s presenter Barney Harwood sat down with him in his design bunker in California for a quick chat. Ive, a life-long Blue Peter fan, said the show was an “inspiration to children around the world” and recalled how they reused products that you thought were no longer useful.

By the way, notice those mean CNC machines behind Ive in the above clip (sorry, Flash-only – talk to BBC!)? That’s a pretty expensive piece of prototyping equipment Ive and his team use to experiment with materials and prototype various designs for future Apple gadgets… Read More

 

Apple’s invisible antenna patent sets stage for all-aluminum iPhone case

By Ed Sutherland on Feb 12, 2013

A new patent granted to Apple today could signal a huge advance in a trimmer, slimmer iPhone perhaps made from a single block of aluminum. The U.S. patent describes “microslot antennas” cut into the smartphone body, eliminating the need for exposing hardware required for communications.

While it could make fans of minimalism – such as Apple’s chief designer Jonathan Ive – jump for joy, could the patented technology cause another production slowdown? Read More

 

Caption contest: Jony Ive at Silicon Valley’s all-star pizza dinner

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 18, 2013

This photo is gold. Twelve of the most important people in Silicon Valley gathered for a dinner tonight, hosted by Nextdoor CEO and longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur Nirav Tolia.

In attendance was Apple’s design guru Jonathan Ive alongside a few other Silicon Valley celebrities.

Most notably, these include Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Google X director Mike Cassidy, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and CEOs of Yelp, Dropbox (“you’re just a feature”) and Path. Ive is just behind Yahoo’s Marissa on the right.

Such a rare photo-op, and with an informal Jony Ive as a bonus? Priceless. At any rate, it’s nice to see the world’s most acclaimed industrial designer hanging out with Silicon Valley’s most influential entrepreneurs, even if he doesn’t look like he’s having much fun. Perhaps you could write your own caption? Read More

 

Former Apple designer Loren Brichter talks about Jony Ive’s new role

By Cody Lee on Dec 4, 2012

Loren Brichter is a designer and developer with quite an impressive track record. He’s created popular apps like Tweetie and Letterpress. And he was also a member of the original iPhone team at Apple.

So needless to say, when Brichter talks, people listen. And he recently sat down with the folks at GigaOM and gave his thoughts on a few things, including Apple’s shakeup, and Jony Ive’s new role… Read More

 

Ive and Forstall were ‘rarely in the same room’

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 2, 2012

That SVP and iOS chief Scott Forstall fell out of favor with Apple CEO Tim Cook and other vice presidents because of his abrasive and divisive style is no secret. Forstall, 44, was Apple’s youngest vice president. He was also the brains behind OS X since 2006 and the architect of your iPhone’s software. The executive was especially at odds with Apple’s famed industrial design guru Jony Ive over software design. According to a new report by Bloomberg, bad blood ran so deep that Forstall wouldn’t even participate in Ive’s meetings where crucial software and hardware design aspects had been discussed… Read More

 

Jony Ive expected to ditch reality for greater minimalism

By Ed Sutherland on Nov 1, 2012

Do you love that linen-like background when logging into your iOS or Mac device? Well, it could be the most visible fatality as minimalism overtakes realism and design chief Jonathan Ive takes the reigns once held by iOS honcho Scott Forstall. That noise you hear is the splintering of the Jobs era and Cook era at Apple.

Forstall, who headed iOS development, was also the chief cheerleader of the late Steve Jobs. Jobs loved what design geeks term skeuomorphism, a Greek word meaning a tool’s shape. In computer design, placing realistic objects – such as linen on a screen or ebooks stored in a wooden bookshelf – are used to lend a sense of assurance, like seeing a familiar face among a crowd of strangers.

But with Jobs gone, voices within the Cupertino, California firm which simply hated this sort of design gained volume. A particularly vehement enemy of Forstall’s design philosophy: Industrial design guru Jony Ive… Read More

 

Joy of Tech’s funny read on Scott Forstall’s ousting

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 31, 2012

Joy of Tech does regular takes on the tech industry’s blunders and Apple is often the subject of their daily web comic. This is their view of Monday’s executive shake-up that saw CEO Tim Cook fire long-time iOS chief Scott Forstall and retail boss (though he never earned that title) John Browett. Go past the fold for the comic and an additional explanation… Read More

 

Analysts assure investors that Apple is in good hands without Scott Forstall

By Ed Sutherland on Oct 30, 2012

The departure of Scott Forstall, long-time aide to the late Steve Jobs, leaves Apple “in good hands,” analysts are assuring investors. Additionally, Jonathan Ive, the design guru, will likely gain even more power, overseeing both hardware and software. Forstall, head of iOS until Monday, was in charge of the company’s move toward Apple Maps. He reportedly was forced out after refusing to sign a public apology letter following the mapping debacle. But friction was building between Forstall and a cadre of executives now surrounding Apple CEO Tim Cook… Read More

 

Apple’s Ive commissioned to design limited-edition Leica M camera?

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 18, 2012

A new report asserts that Apple’s SVP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive will help design a one-of-a-kind Leica M camera for charity. The new Leicas were announced at the Photokina event in Germany yesterday. the Leica M model features a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor, Live View and 1080p HD video recording, a Gorilla Glass three-inch LCD screen with 920K pixels and more.

It will set you back a cool $6,950, or $5,450 if you go for the more affordable Leica E model. Ive, who won numerous industry awards for his work at Apple, will reportedly design a limited-edition Leica M camera which will be auctioned off for charity. Only one unit of the camera will be produced… Read More

 

Jony Ive explains design ideas, says he’ll stick around at Apple

By Christian Zibreg on May 24, 2012

Apple’s design head Jonathan Ive certainly has a busy schedule. In between enjoying healthy meals at Apple’s cafeteria, working out in a gym and conceiving that non-TV TV in his secret design bunker at 1 Infinite Loop, he found time to fly to Britain earlier this week to receive a knighthood in honor of his contributions to industrial design.

He also sat for a little one-on-one with The Daily Telegraph’s Shane Richmond.

And today, BBC Radio 4 is treating us to a four-minute audio interview with London-born, softly spoken chief of industrial design and vice president at Apple.

Despite concerns that he might feel homesick, Ive has every intention to stick around at Apple and continue churning out great stuff (as he previously said that the best is yet to come)… Read More

 

Video: Princess Royal knighting Sir Jonathan Ive at Buckingham Palace

By Christian Zibreg on May 23, 2012

Soft-spoken and shy, design guru Jonathan Ive, one of the key figures at Apple of California responsible for the striking design of iPhones, iPods, iPads, Macs and many other Apple products, flew to his native homeland of Britain to officially receive a knighthood in honor of his contributions to industrial design.

As Cody told you, he sat down for a rare one-on-one interview with The Daily Telegraph’s Shane Richmond, hinting that best work is underway now.

As for the knighthood ceremony, we have a video for your viewing pleasure… Read More

 

Apple’s design guru Jony Ive says best is yet to come

By Cody Lee on May 23, 2012

TheNextWeb points to a new piece in The Telegraph this morning, which features a lengthy interview with Jony Ive. The publication caught up with Apple’s design guru during his recent trip to the UK to receive an honorary knighthood.

The Cupertino company’s Senior Vice President of Industrial Design discussed a number of topics with the paper throughout the course of the interview, but a couple of his comments really stood out… Read More

 

Apple’s design guru Jony Ive shortlisted as a British Visionary Innovator

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 18, 2012

It’s nominations time for Apple today. First we learned that Time magazine included Apple CEO Tim Cook on its annual list of 100 Most Influential People in the world and now a word has reached us that the company’s design guru Jonathan Ive has been nominated for the prestigious British Visionary Innovator award by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.

The competition aims to celebrate innovators who earned fame by developing innovative products, services or designs, in in celebration of World Intellectual Property Day 2012… Read More