Airbnb Partners With Ex-Apple Design Star Jony Ive

Airbnb has hired former Apple design chief Jony Ive to work on showcasing the homesharing platform's forthcoming products, it announced Wednesday.

Ive, who worked alongside Steve Jobs for several decades, is credited with designing the shape of the iMac, iPod and iPhone before leaving the tech giant in June 2019 to set up his own firm, LoveFrom.

The Silicon Valley legend and his firm "will be engaging in a special collaboration" over the course of several years with Airbnb, founder and CEO Brian Chesky said in the announcement.

Ive will also help Airbnb develop its internal design team.

"We share the same belief in the value and importance of creativity and design," said Chesky, himself a graduate in industrial design.

"We each believe not only in making objects and interfaces, but in crafting services and experiences," he said.

The announcement comes as Airbnb plans to go public by the end of the year.

Shaken at the start of the pandemic by measures put in place to stem the spread of Covid-19, Airbnb has managed to weather the storm with users turning to the platform to book nearby weekend getaways or search for a new location for working from home.