Jony Ive is a major name at Apple, having designed some of the products like the iPhone, iPod, and iPad and currently serving as its Chief Design Officer. Today Apple announced that he's leaving.

Ive will leave Apple later this year to form his own independent design company. The new firm will be called LoveForm, reports the Financial Times, and it will fully launch in 2020. This doesn't mean that Ive and Apple are completely done, though, because Apple will be a "primary client" of Ive's new firm.

“After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer. Today it is stronger, more vibrant and more talented than at any point in Apple’s history,” Ive explained. “The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Ive has led Apple's design group since 1996 and has helped design products like the iPhone and iPod as well as the iMac. He also worked on the packaging of Apple products as well as architectural projects like Apple's retail stores and the new Apple Park campus.

Two leaders of Apple's design team will fill Ive's role. They are Evans Hankey, VP of industrial design, and Alan Dye, VP of human interface design. They'll both report to Apple COO Jeff Williams.

Apple also announced today that Sabin Khan is being promoted to the title of senior vice president of operations. Khan has been with Apple for 24 years.