The chief designer of Apple Computer Inc's phenomenally popular iPod digital music player was named on Friday in the Queen's Honours List. London-born Jonathan Ive, 38, Apple's senior vice president of design, on Friday was awarded the title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth.
The title recognises Ive's achievements in industrial design as leader of the team that produced not only the iPod but also the iMac, iBook and Powerbook computer lines in his nearly 13-year career at Cupertino, California-based Apple.
Ive studied design and art at Newcastle Polytechnic in England. In 1989, he became a partner at Tangerine, a London-based design consultant where he worked on products ranging from power tools to wash basins. He joined Apple in 1992 and became the leader of the company's design team in 1996.
Ive and his team of designers have received numerous awards from design institutions, including British advertising trade group D&AD, German design museums Red Dot and iF, Industrial Designers Society of America, the (UK) Royal Society of Arts. His work has been exhibited around the world and is featured in permanent collections at museums including New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
The rank of CBE is the third most senior rank among the five British classes of chivalry. It was created in 1917 by King George V to honour non-combatants at the height of World War I. Only the first two orders qualify for knighthood.