14 DAY TRIAL // Jony Ive is now in a position to call the shots regarding aesthetics both hardware-wise and on the software front at Apple. However, as Human Interface chief, Sir Ive has his way cut out for him.
In firing Scott Forstall, a key figure within his executive team, CEO Tim Cook completely restructured Apple as an organization assigning new duties to remaining executives, including one Jonathan Ive, who designs the products sold by the Cupertino giant.
As the head of Apple’s Human Interface division, Ive now has the added responsibility of providing guidance regarding how Apple’s software looks. Not just iOS and OS X, but every app that Apple develops and maintains, including web services.
“Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design,” Apple said this week, as Tim Cook reshuffled the executive reins in Cupertino, California.
“His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade,” the company added.
In short, Ive is now entirely trusted with Apple’s look and feel. The design guru is a big fan of minimalism (showing a particular attraction to the work of Dieter Rams) so you can bet there are going to be some radical changes in the graphics of iOS and OS X.
“We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple’s history,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, on October 29.
“The amazing products that we’ve introduced in September and October, iPhone 5, iOS 6, iPad mini, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, iPod touch, iPod nano and many of our applications, could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services,” added Cook.
Here’s to hoping Ive can work the same magic with software, as he does with hardware.