Skip to main content

Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive to work with Ferrari

Done with designing iPhones, iMacs, and other big-selling Apple gadgets, Jony Ive, the tech giant’s former design guru, is turning his attention to top-end motors.

Two years after departing the tech giant as its head of design, Ive is embarking on a partnership with Ferrari, Bloomberg reported this week.

Tim Cook & Jonathan Ive.
Jony Ive (left) & Tim Cook (Right) Apple

The “multiyear” collaboration will see Ferrari work with LoveFrom, the creative agency set up by Ive and fellow designer Marc Newson shortly after Ive departed Apple in 2019.

“The first expression of this new partnership will bring together Ferrari’s legendary performance and excellence with LoveFrom’s unrivaled experience and creativity that has defined extraordinary world-changing products,” Ferrari owner Exor said in a statement.

Beyond that, there’s little information on what Ive and Newson will be doing at Ferrari. Taking on an entire vehicle design? Possibly. Focusing on particular car components? Perhaps. Creating accessories for the Ferrari brand? Maybe. All will hopefully be revealed before too long, though a report in the Financial Times this week suggests the pair could be tasked with working on Ferrari’s first all-electric car, which is set to debut four years from now.

Ive has a long-running interest in vehicle design. In a 2014 interview with Time, he revealed that after he left school, he briefly attended a car-design course at London’s Royal College but was quickly put off as “the classes were full of students making vroom! vroom! noises as they drew.” The experience prompted Ive to switch to an industrial design course at a different college, a move that set him on a path that ultimately took him to Apple.

LoveFrom’s involvement with Ferrari comes nearly year after the design firm announced it was partnering with Airbnb. The collaboration was described as “a special collaboration,” though like Ferrari’s announcement, details about the partnership have been scarce.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Apple lead designer Jony Ive is leaving to start his own company
Apple chief design officer Jony Ive (middle) tests out a product at the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference.

Apple chief design officer Jony Ive (middle) tests out a product at the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple's head of design Jony Ive is leaving the company.

Read more
Otto premium smart lock was designed by former Microsoft and Apple engineers
otto smart lock 1

After four years of development and nearly 50 years of simulated durability testing, the Otto smart lock sets a new standard for premium and secure digital locks. Otto is designed around a family experience, with kids, delivery drivers, and friends constantly coming and going.

Without a lock to pick or a keypad to attack, Otto removes the most vulnerable aspects of locks today. Additional testing ensured that each Otto lock could survive significant force whether it be from forced entry or a moody teenager. Inside Otto is a system of gears using marine-grade 316 stainless steel. The developers built a dozen proprietary robots to mimic events like a door slamming over 100,000 times at 60G of force (two or three times the average door slam). Another robot tests more than 250,000 cycles of locking and unlocking to simulate a lifetime of use.

Read more
Tired of crappy work lights, a former auto mechanic designed a big-ass solution
big ass light bar work rendering

If you go through work lights that break, wear out, or just don't do the job, listen up. Big Ass Solutions, the parent company of Big Ass Fans, has a work light with no compromises. The Big Ass Light Bar, currently on an Indiegogo campaign, was built to handle the toughest, nastiest, dirtiest, and most demanding jobs you'll ever have. Designed specifically to withstand the challenges faced by mechanics, contractors, truckers, oil rig workers, and first responders, the light can also meet the needs of auto enthusiasts, fishermen, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Big Ass Light Bar's LED lamp has six brightness settings from 80 to 5,000 lumens and a right-angle light so it can illuminate an entire room. The light's high-capacity battery lasts for 48 hours at the dimmest setting and 90 minutes turned all the way up, according to the company. An octagonal-shaped body prevents it from rolling away when dropped, and if you do drop it, the light takes a lot of punishment.

Read more