Jony Ive, iPhone Designer, Leaving Apple To Form Independent Company

Apple's chief designer Jony Ive is leaving after decades at the iPhone maker to form an independent company -- with Apple as one of its primary clients. Ive was at Apple for more than two decades in which his iconic designs for the Mac, iPod and iPhone turned one of Silicon Valley's faded giants into the world's most valuable company and defined a generation of consumer products. From a report: '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,' Chief Executive Officer 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.' Ive will be replaced by existing Apple designers. Evans Hankey, vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, vice president of Human Interface Design, will report to Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, the company said. In an interview with Financial Times, Ive said: '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.'

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