Apple makes British exec Jony Ive top dog for design

Apple promotes 'driving force' of Apple products Jony Ive to chief design officer

Apple has promoted Brit Jony Ive to the role of chief design officer, The Telegraph has revealed in an interview with the designer carried out by Stephen Fry.

Ive previously held the position of senior vice president of design at Apple but has been pushed up to this more senior design position, along with Richard Howarth who will be the new head of industrial design, and Alan Dye, who becomes head of user interface (UI), The Telegraph reported.

Ive (pictured) joined Apple in 1996 and the London-born designer is hailed as the "driving force behind the look and feel of Apple's innovative products" by the US behemoth.

Tech blog 9to5Mac has posted an email from Tim Cook which confirms the news and expressed the chief executive's delight at Ive's promotion.

Cook said in the memo: "Jony is one of the most talented and accomplished designers of his generation, with an astonishing 5,000 design and utility patents to his name. His new role is a reflection of the scope of work he has been doing at Apple for some time.

"Jony's design responsibilities have expanded from hardware and, more recently, software UI to the look and feel of Apple retail stores, our new campus in Cupertino, product packaging and many other parts of our company."