Jonathan Ive officially knighted, interviewed by The Telegraph

Apple’s London-born senior vice president of industrial design Jonathan Ive, was officially knighted at Buckingham Palace earlier today. The honor, which was announced back in December, recognises his services to design and enterprise, through the creation of iconic products such as the iMac, iPhone and iPad.

Prior to his royal engagement, Ive took part in a lengthy interview with The Telegraph’s Shane Richmond, during which he spoke about his background, design philosophy, and how Apple will continue to be successful even without Steve Jobs.

In one of the most interesting parts of the interview, Richmond asked Ive which of his Apple designs he would pick, if he was to be remembered for just one of them:

“It’s a really tough one. A lot does seem to come back to the fact that what we’re working on now feels like the most important and the best work we’ve done, and so it would be what we’re working on right now, which of course I can’t tell you about.”

Of course, had Ive picked one of his previous designs it would have suggested that his best work was behind him. But could his answer also refer to a brand-new product, such as the much-rumoured Apple TV set, or perhaps, the next-generation iPhone?

Towards the end of the interview, Ive also responded to analyst claims that Apple would go into decline without the leadership of Steve Jobs. He explained the importance of teamwork at the Cupertino company:

We’re developing products in exactly the same way that we were two years ago, five years ago, ten years ago. It’s not that there are a few of us working in the same way: there is a large group of us working in the same way.

We have become rather addicted to learning as a group of people and trying to solve very difficult problems as a team. And we get enormous satisfaction from doing that. Particularly when you’re sat on a plane and it appears that the majority of people are using something that you’ve collectively agonised over. It’s a wonderful reward.

Described by Steve Jobs as his ‘spiritual partner’ in Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Apple co-founder, Ive has led the Apple design team since 1996. He lives a short distance away from Apple’s Cupertino campus in California, and is married with two children.

Make sure you read the complete two-part interview, over on the The Telegraph’s website.

You can also watch Ive receive his knighthood in a short video on the BBC’s website.

[Via The Next Web]