Today marks the 52nd birthday of Jony Ive, Apple’s much-admired chief design officer. As the shaper of products including, well, virtually everything that Apple builds, Ive has been a central presence since Steve Jobs’ return to Cupertino in the late 1990s.
To celebrate his birthday, check out one of Ive’s most interesting interviews. Happy birthday, Jony!
Jony Ive: An enduring Apple presence
The interview in question was given at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in 2014. It includes some priceless anecdotes and reflections — including the importance of focus and why Jobs called Ive vain.
Today, Ive is one of the world’s most celebrated designers. He was knighted in 2012, making him Sir Jony Ive. He is also the current Chancellor of the Royal College of Art in London.
Ive is a 27-year veteran of Apple, having joined in 1992. He is the third-longest-term Apple senior VP — after only Eddy Cue and Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s new senior vice president of retail and people.
However, he is also one of Apple’s more elusive figures from a public perspective.
While he has given multiple interviews over the years, Ive virtually never appears onstage at Apple events. For today’s generation of Apple fans, he is best known as the omniscient, godlike voice who narrates some of the video packages hyping new breakthrough products.
What do you think has been Ive’s greatest contribution to Apple over the years? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
