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.
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"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.
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(View all)RCA: These ARE the latest model.
Jony Ive: Oh, right. Sorry.
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.
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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.