Chief Apple designer Jony Ive has been appointed chancellor of London's Royal College of Art (RCA), it was announced on Thursday. Ive is set to take up the role in July and will replace British engineer Sir James Dyson, who has been provost of RCA since 2011.

jonyivecars1

"I am thrilled to formalise my relationship with the RCA, given the profound influence the college has had on so many of the artists and designers that I admire," Ive said in a statement.

"Our design team includes many RCA alumni, who embody the fundamental values of the college. I look forward to advising both the college and students, hoping that my experience proves useful in their work."

In his unpaid five-year term as head of the college, Ive will preside over meetings and help to govern RCA, which in 2017 was ranked the world's best institution for art and design for the third year in a row by QS University World Rankings.

"We are delighted to welcome Sir Jony Ive as our new chancellor," said Paul Thompson, RCA's rector. "It is a great honor to be joined by the world's leading designer of his generation, who has produced consistently innovative and commercially successful technology and design."

The designer of the iMac, iPod, and iPhone received an honorary doctorate from the RCA in 2009. Ive also holds honorary doctorates from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and has received several other accolades from leading British institutions.

Top Rated Comments

djeeyore25 Avatar
99 months ago
Jony Ive: These Mac Pros are four years old! Why has the school updated them to the latest model?
RCA: These ARE the latest model.
Jony Ive: Oh, right. Sorry.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
99 months ago
I hope he can make art thinner.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
99 months ago
Pretty long commute in to work, even by private jet.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordQ Avatar
99 months ago
As an Industrial Designer, he went from my favourite designer and inspiration to overrated trash.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
99 months ago
I'm not entirely sure if that's a recent photo of him or not. He actually looks younger here, so I'm not sure if this is the most up-to-date photo. It might just be a stock photo MacRumors pulled off the Internet.
Oh that's a shame. If he's still large he does need now more than ever to get fit because when you get to be my/his age the extra weight is a health hazard of greater and more immediate consequence.

My husband and I are trying to get into better shape because we've already had some problems. Him with blood pressure and me with skating on the edge of insulin resistance. I'm not overweight, but I am not toned so I look mushy. As you know from working out, those of us who stop after a youth spent building up solid muscles will look and feel "off" if we let that hard work get out of shape in later years. I know it hasn't happened to you yet but I'm sure you're aware of what lies ahead due to your interest in fitness. I don't need to work out like I used to but I can't afford to let myself become a potato, either. I lost some ground last year due to having to scale back activities drastically after some surgery. After I get caught up with some home repairs and finishing up the last of the remodeling I hope to get back into an age appropriate fitness regimen. By age appropriate, I mean something that won't stress older joints and tendons.

Sorry, I've dragged us all a bit off topic. Well I must say I've admired what Jony I've has done for Apple hardware design. I think he took some concepts too far, but overall, he was very influential abd iconic and deserves credit for that. I wish him well. I do think it is time for a new generation to make their impact now. I would like to see more practicality married to aesthetics than is currently practiced.
[doublepost=1495819292][/doublepost]
That’s unfortunate. I was really hoping it would mean that he’s leaving Apple. I was thinking we might be able to get some half-decent products out of Apple without Johnny Ive making them too thin to be useful long-term. The problem with these thin-and-light designs is that they can’t be repaired or upgraded, making them disposable, which is terrible for the consumer and the environment. The old designs could be repaired, upgraded, and even recycled.
These thinner designs also don't leave enough room for proper cooling. I was reading that is a factor in issues Samsung has had with it's larger phone batteries overheating in too small chassis.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michaelgtrusa Avatar
99 months ago
Well deserved.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more. We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

iOS 18.2.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhone

Saturday December 21, 2024 4:45 pm PST by
Apple appears to be internally testing iOS 18.2.1 for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software update in our website's analytic logs this week. The logs have accurately revealed many iOS versions before they were released. iOS 18.2.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or addresses security vulnerabilities, but it is unclear which specific issues might be resolved. The update...