When it comes to design, Apple will push the boundaries, which is why the company famed for producing one of the best designed smartphones in the world just added another legendary designer to its ranks.
Marc Newson, influential industrial designer and one of Jony Ive's close friends and collaborators, is joining Apple as the iPhone maker's vice president of design. Newson, whose work includes everything from cars, cameras, furniture, boats, restaurants and, yes, watches for his watch company Ikepod, has designs featured permanently in New York City's Museum of Modern Art and was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential persons in 2005.
One of Newson and Ive's most well-known collaborations is U2 lead singer Bono's (RED) charity auction in 2013, which raised $26.2 million for the campaign against AIDS in Africa. The designers and friends co-curated the auction, which involved a number of pieces they designed together, including a limited edition Leica M camera and a sleek and slim 2,600-pound aluminum desk that's known to be the MacBook Air of desks.
Asked what makes the friends such natural partners, Ive told Charlie Rose in an interview aired over CBS last year that he and Newson share the same design philosophy.
"Well, I think in some ways that's why we're the close friends that we are," Ive says. "That we share the same view of the world and the same taste and we'll relate to the same attributes and aspects of an object."
"But most importantly, we really hate the same things," Newson interrupts.
Apple confirmed the appointment in a statement sent to Vanity Fair, which first reported about the new hire.
"We are particularly excited to formalize our collaboration as we enjoy working together so much and have found our partnership so effective," says Ive.
Apple did not provide details as to what Newson will specifically be working on. It is highly unlikely that a world-renowned designer will be content with being Ive's assistant, but with Ive being promoted to oversee both the hardware and software aspects of the company, and with Newson sharing Ive's design world view, he could be the perfect person to take some of the work off Ive's shoulders.
Newson, who is the newest addition to Apple's powerhouse of prominent new hires from outside the technology industry, will work from his home country in the U.K. and will fly to Cupertino regularly. The company recently bought off Beats Music and brought onboard iconic music producer Jimmy Iovine and rapper Andre Young, also known as Dr. Dre. Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry, now oversees Apple retail stores, while former Yves St. Laurent CEO Paul Deneve works on "special projects."
