First a disclaimer: I’m no expert on corporate intrigue at Apple. I know that the company announced changes that involve the exits of Scott Forstall and John Browett — the guys in charge of iOS and the Apple Stores, respectively — and greater responsibility for key executives Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, Jonathan Ive and Bob Mansfield. But I don’t have any insider scuttlebutt.

I do, however, know huge news when I see it. And I did, in Apple’s press release on the changes:

Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his role as the leader of Industrial Design. His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade.

For all of Ive’s incalculable impact on Apple’s products since the late 1990s, he’s been a hardware person; other people have…