Apple's design guru Jony Ive designed a lot of unusual things you'd never expect to come from the person behind the iPhone - check them out

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Apple's design guru Jony Ive designed a lot of unusual things you'd never expect to come from the person behind the iPhone - check them out

Jony Ive Diamond Ring

Getty/Sothebys

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  • Jony Ive is leaving Apple, whose popular products have long been associated with his design sense.
  • Before and during his tenure at Apple, however, Ive designed a wide range of products you'd never expect to come from the designer of the iPod and iPhone.
  • Items like a comb, a toilet, or even a power drill aren't the first things to come to mind, but Ive has designed them all.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Most industrial designers aren't household names. It's not often that we know the name of the person responsible for overseeing the design of products that we use and love.

But with some of Apple's most iconic products, we can easily assign a name and a face to the person working behind the scenes to bring them fruition: Jony Ive.

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Because we only really know Ive as Apple's chief designer, much of his work outside of Apple isn't as well known. It turns out that when Ive wasn't designing iPhones, iPods, and Mac computers, he's been cooking up some pretty unusual things, many of which you'd never expect.

Could you picture Ive designing a toilet, for example? Well, he did.

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Check out some of the non-Apple products that Jony Ive has designed:

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The TX2 pen designed for fidgeters, which Ive designed as an intern.

The TX2 pen designed for fidgeters, which Ive designed as an intern.

Ive realized that people like to fiddle with their pens, so he designed a pen just for the fidgeters. The TX2 had a ball and clip at the top of the pen designed for people to fiddle around with. It might be the original fidget toy, a category of accessories — like the fidget spinner — that was briefly popular in 2017.

A land-line phone.

A land-line phone.

Ive designed a land-line phone in the 80s called the "Orator," which won an award.

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Ive sketched a design for a power drill.

Ive sketched a design for a power drill.

In his earlier years, Ive worked at a London-based design consultancy called Tangerine. Here are some of the projects he worked on, including bathroom sinks.

In his earlier years, Ive worked at a London-based design consultancy called Tangerine. Here are some of the projects he worked on, including bathroom sinks.
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And even a toilet.

And even a toilet.

Here's what a bathroom would look like if it was designed by Ive, at least back in the 90s.

Here's what a bathroom would look like if it was designed by Ive, at least back in the 90s.
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And this large comb, called The Brian Drumm Flatliner comb.

And this large comb, called The Brian Drumm Flatliner comb.

Ive designed a Christmas tree without any decorations for the Claridges hotel in London.

Ive designed a Christmas tree without any decorations for the Claridges hotel in London.

Ive designed a Christmas tree for the Claridges hotel in London, which traditionally features Christmas trees designed by famous designers every year.

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With designer Marc Newson, Ive helped design several products for a charity auction, including this $250,000 ring made entirely out of a single chunk of diamonds.

With designer Marc Newson, Ive helped design several products for a charity auction, including this $250,000 ring made entirely out of a single chunk of diamonds.

Ive's father was a silversmith, which may have influenced his decision to design a piece of jewellery.

The (RED) Diamond Ring was sold at the Sotheby's auction house in the "Jony and Marc's (RED) Auction" for $256,250.

And this Leica camera, which sold for $1.8 million.

And this Leica camera, which sold for $1.8 million.
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And this desk, which sold for $1.685 million.

And this desk, which sold for $1.685 million.

Gold Ear Pods, that sold for $461,000.

Gold Ear Pods, that sold for $461,000.
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A custom stand for a US Space Shuttle thermal window, which sold for $845,000.

A custom stand for a US Space Shuttle thermal window, which sold for $845,000.