Three decades later, the professional relationship between Apple and designer Jony Ive ended, according to sources cited by The New York Times.
Ive joined Apple in 1992 and made a name for himself in 1998 by designing the colorful iMac, which was instrumental in saving the company after Steve Jobs returned to the CEO position. For many years thereafter, he was reported to have been Jobs’ closest associate and second only to Jobs in terms of influence within the company.
He led the hardware development but took over the software development along the way. After Jobs’ death, Ive led the development and release of the Apple Watch. But, according to many sources, this process disappointed Quince, and he switched to part-time work.
In 2019, Ive left the company to start an independent design firm, and Apple CEO Tim Cook announced his intention to work with Ive “long into the future”in a deal worth more than $100 million.
Now, “two people aware of their contractual agreement”told The New York Times that the design firm and Apple would no longer work together. As for Ive, the firm’s relationship with Apple kept him from working with some other clients, and the paper claims that some members of Apple’s management objected to the amount of money the firm received.
In the end, both sides agreed not to continue. Ive will continue to work for other clients such as Ferrari, and Apple will promote new products without Ive’s involvement. Apple COO Jeff Williams will continue to lead Apple’s design teams with active participation from the company’s product marketing department. Industrial design will be led by Evans Hankey and software design by Alan Dye.