Meta is making a bold statement about its design priorities by hiring Alan Dye, Apple’s longtime chief of user interface design. Dye will join Meta on December 31st after spending nearly two decades at Apple, where he has been a driving force behind the company’s design philosophy since 2015. The transition was confirmed by both companies this week.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the creation of a new creative studio within Reality Labs that will be led by Dye. According to the Meta CEO’s post on Threads, this studio will focus on the intersection of design, fashion, and technology. The goal is to elevate design across Meta’s entire product ecosystem, creating more compelling and intuitive user experiences.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook acknowledged Dye’s departure and named veteran designer Stephen Lemay as his replacement. This change represents a significant shift in Apple’s creative leadership structure. Dye’s extensive experience in creating products that seamlessly integrate hardware and software will now be applied to Meta’s ambitious projects.
Zuckerberg painted a picture of an emerging era where AI glasses and other devices will transform connectivity and interaction. He emphasized that the new studio will focus on making every interaction thoughtful and built to serve people. By bringing in a designer of Dye’s caliber and assembling a talented team around him, Meta is positioning itself to compete more effectively in markets where design quality is a key differentiator.