iPhone designer Jony Ive is leaving Apple after nearly 30 years

Apple’s chief design officer Sir Jonathan Ive will soon depart the company after nearly 30 years. Ive will head to start an independent design firm which will see Apple among its primary clients.

Ive is one of the world’s most acclaimed industrial designer, and his design team at Apple has brought us breakthrough innovations such as thinner Macs, the notch on the edge-to-edge display on iPhone, and the recently-announced Mac Pro, of course. Ive’s influence can be found on most Apple products on the shelf now. Yes, he is also the one responsible for iOS 7’s “very, very flat design” that changed the human interface of iOS.

In a statement, Ive said:

The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.

Evans Hankey, VP of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, VP of Human Interface Design, who lead the design team at Apple will now report directly to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

Apple didn’t mention an exact departure date for Ive’s move, but stated sometime later this year.