Apple design guru Jonathan "Jony" Ive has received a promotion. The longtime Senior Vice President of Design will soon be handing off those duties to fulfill the role of Chief Design Officer, a newly-created position within the Cupertino-based company.

From July 1, Richard Howarth will become Vice President of Industrial Design and focus on hardware projects. Howarth is a longtime employee that has been part of the iPhone team since the very beginning.

Elsewhere, Alan Dye will be promoted to VP of User Interface Design, a position in which he will oversee both desktop and mobile device UI. Dye is perhaps best known for being instrumental in iOS 7's major visual overhaul. More recently, he worked on the UI for Apple's first wearable.

The Telegraph was the first to reveal the leadership changes which were confirmed in an internal memo from CEO Tim Cook that was obtained by 9to5Mac. In it, Cook said Ive will continue to remain responsible for all of Apple's designs with a focus on current projects, new ideas and future initiatives.

By relinquishing some of his day-to-day duties, Ive will soon have more time to work on the look and feel of Apple retail stores, the company's new campus, product packaging and other areas.

Ive worked as a consultant for Apple for a brief spell before joining the company full-time in 1992. He has been responsible for influencing the design of a number of Apple's top product lines including the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

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