Airbnb hires former Apple designer Jony Ive’s firm for multi-year partnership

Home rental company Airbnb Inc on Wednesday said it was hiring former Apple designer Jony Ive and his firm to design new Airbnb products and services under a multi-year deal.

Ive was a close creative collaborator with Apple Inc co-founder Steve Jobs. Ive spent nearly three decades at Apple, leading the design of the candy-colored iMacs that helped Apple re-emerge from near death in the 1990s and the design of the iPhone. He left Apple last year.

In a blog announcing the work relationship, Airbnb Chief Executive Brian Chesky said Ive will also help develop the Airbnb internal design team.