Apple designed Jonathan Ive has been knighted by the Queen of England. Ive, who first started working with Apple 20 years ago, in 1992, is credited with the unique design of the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, and the iMac. The BBC reports that Ive this past weekend awarded a KBE (short for Knight Commander of the British Empire) for his services to design and enterprise. This award follows his appointment to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours.
The BBC cites Sir Jonathan as saying the honour is "absolutely thrilling" and that he was "both humbled and sincerely grateful."
"I am keenly aware that I benefit from a wonderful tradition in the UK of designing and making," he said. "I discovered at an early age that all I've ever wanted to do is design."
Ive's first interaction with Apple came when he was hired as a consultant in 1992. However, it wasn't until Steve Jobs' return to the company in the latter-half of the 90s that Ive blossomed. In 1997, he was given the position of Senior VP of Industrial Design and he has remained in the position ever since. Ive has his own lab at Apple's campus with his own team of engineers.
