Understanding Jony Ive’s departure from Apple

Why now, what it means, and what’s next.

Now it’s really the end of an era: Jony Ive, Apple’s longtime chief designer, is leaving the company to start his own design firm, LoveFrom, with close friend and collaborator Marc Newson. Ive helped invent some of the world’s most iconic products, including the iMac, iPod, and iPhone, and as Steve Jobs’ intellectual partner, played a pivotal role in Apple’s turnaround and ascent.

Ive’s departure is surprising in the sense that it’s always a shock when someone so core to a company leaves. (Apple will be the first LoveFrom client, and he told the FT that he hoped to stay “very involved” in Apple’s product development for “many many years to come.”)

But let’s also confront some realities.

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• Apple
• Design
• Gadgets
• Jony Ive
• LoveFrom
• Tim Cook