Jony Ive will go down in infamy as a designer that shaped Apple’s product line. His impact on the business is “immeasurable,” according to Jobs. When he left Apple in 2019 it came as a shock to many, but Ive wanted a new challenge. This new challenge comes in the form of Airbnb.
Read: Remember, Apple is taking away your iPhone charger
In a blog post, the CEO and co-founder of Airbnb announced the company’s multi-year deal with Jony Ive, or more accurately his new design firm LoveForm. Calling it “a special collaboration” between the two, Chesky says that Ive will also help Airbnb develop its internal design team.
The two seem to be on the same page when it comes to design philosophy, with Ive telling Chesky in an email: “I love that we both look at the world with such curiosity and care so deeply about the creative process and new ideas. We have learned that despite the inherent fragility of ideas, they can be developed to become profound and powerful.”
Ive will hope to build on his substantial legacy at Apple, where he led the design teams that brought us the iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air, Apple Watch and iOS aesthetics, among others. He was with the company for more than 20 years. When he left and founded LoveForm, Apple swiftly announced that they would still work with Ive closely on future projects.
According to a report by Financial Times, Ive will lead the rental platform’s efforts to revamp its app and website. He will also be working on the redesign of the rating system that Airbnb uses where guests and hosts rate and review each after when a trip is done. It forms an integral part of recommendations on the platform, for both host venues as well as vetting potential guests.
As a result of this partnership, Airbnb’s chief design officer Alex Schleifer will reportedly step down a year after he came onboard.
