Apple’s Jony Ive Reveals New Role as ‘Chief Design Officer’ to The Telegraph [u]

The Telegraph’s Stephen Fry has landed an exclusive story, revealing to the world Jony Ive’s new role at Apple: Chief Design Officer. Ive’s two lieutenants have also been promoted, with Richard Howarth now head of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye as the new head of User Interface:

Until now, Ive’s job title has been Senior Vice President of Design. But I can reveal that he has just been promoted and is now Apple’s Chief Design Officer. It is therefore an especially exciting time for him.

Inside the fabled design studio (cloths over the long tables hiding the exciting new prototypes from prying eyes like mine) Jony has two people with him. They too have been promoted as part of Ive’s new role

One is Richard Howarth, English as Vimto. “Richard is going to be our new head of Industrial Design,” says Jony. “And this is Alan Dye, the new head of User Interface.” Dye is a tall, amiable American.

Jony ive alan dye richard howarth

(left to right) Alan Dye, Jony Ive, and Richard Howarth (Photo: Gabriela Hasbun for The Telegraph)

Back in the summer of 2013, Apple was given a new role as senior VP of Industrial Design, handed the reigns to implement his vision for both hardware and software at the company, with iOS 7 as a result of his work.

Fry got exclusive access to Tim Cook, Jony Ive and also got to visit Apple Campus 2 with both executives, an opportunity rarely available to the media at this point. He also shares his own personal anecdote about Steve Jobs amongst others. It’s definitely worth the read—check it out here.

Update: 9to5Mac has an internal memo from Tim Cook to employees on this new position, quietly announced on a holiday when the stock markets are closed–here’s a snippet:

Design is one of the most important ways we communicate with our customers, and our reputation for world-class design differentiates Apple from every other company in the world. As Chief Design Officer, Jony will remain responsible for all of our design, focusing entirely on current design projects, new ideas and future initiatives. On July 1, he will hand off his day-to-day managerial responsibilities of ID and UI to Richard Howarth, our new vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, our new vice president of User Interface Design.

 

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