Apple’s Top UI Designer Departs for Meta
▼ Summary
– Alan Dye, Apple’s head of UI design since 2015, is leaving to become Meta’s chief design officer, starting December 31st.
– At Meta, Dye will oversee design for hardware, software, and AI integration and will report directly to CTO Andrew Bosworth.
– Apple has named Steve Lemay, a key interface designer since 1999, as Dye’s replacement, with the design team now reporting to CEO Tim Cook.
– Dye’s exit is part of a series of recent leadership changes at Apple, including the departures of its COO and AI chief.
– Additional reports indicate that Apple’s chips lead, Johnny Srouji, is also evaluating his future at the company.
A significant leadership shift is underway at Apple as Alan Dye, the company’s long-time vice president of Human Interface Design, departs for a major role at Meta. Dye, who has been responsible for the visual and interactive language of Apple’s software since 2015, will join Meta on the last day of the year. His new position is Chief Design Officer, where he will oversee design for hardware, software, and the integration of artificial intelligence into user interfaces. At Meta, he will report directly to Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth.
Apple has confirmed that veteran designer Steve Lemay will step into Dye’s former role. In a statement provided to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted Lemay’s deep institutional knowledge and design philosophy. “Steve Lemay has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999,” Cook said. “He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s culture of collaboration and creativity.” This appointment follows a recent restructuring where Apple’s design team now reports directly to Tim Cook himself, following the retirement of former Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams.
This move represents the latest in a series of high-profile departures from Apple’s senior ranks. The company recently confirmed that its head of artificial intelligence, John Giannandrea, is stepping down from his role. This news follows the official departure of operations chief Jeff Williams in November. Reports also indicate that Johnny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, is considering his future with the company. These changes mark a period of notable transition for the tech giant’s leadership structure.
Neither Apple nor Meta provided additional comment on the personnel change beyond the confirmed statements. Dye’s transition to Meta places him at the center of the social media company’s ambitious efforts to blend physical hardware with digital and AI-driven experiences, a core focus of its metaverse vision. His deep expertise in creating intuitive, cohesive software ecosystems will be a critical asset as Meta continues to develop its Reality Labs products and other integrated platforms.
(Source: The Verge)
