Apple’s set to lose one more prime govt as Alan Dye, the corporate’s head of user-interface design, departs for Meta Platforms, in accordance with a brand new report Wednesday. And as you’ll be able to see within the X.com posts inserted beneath, this main information already conjures up Liquid Glass-fueled snark over whether or not it’s actually such a giant loss for the iPhone big.
Apple design chief behind controversial Liquid Glass joins Meta
The transfer represents a victory for Meta because it pushes deeper into AI-equipped shopper gadgets and {hardware} manufacturing, in accordance with Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman — though constructing sarcasm on social media appears to doubt that evaluation.
Dye, a design chief for Apple since 2015, will assume the position of chief design officer at Meta on December 31, main a newly created design studio targeted on {hardware}, software program and AI integration throughout the corporate’s interfaces.
“We’re getting into a brand new period the place AI glasses and different gadgets will change how we join with know-how and one another,” stated Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Threads, “With this new studio, we’re targeted on making each interplay considerate, intuitive, and constructed to serve individuals.”
At Apple, Dye oversaw among the firm’s most important design work lately, together with the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset interface and complete redesigns of Apple’s working programs.
Dye’s portfolio additionally included design management for flagship merchandise just like the Apple Watch, iPhone and the corporate’s suite of apps. Most lately, his group contributed to growing Apple’s upcoming good dwelling gadgets.
However regardless of Dye’s accomplishments, jokes bubbled up on social media about perceived missteps, like hard-to-read Liquid Glass design parts. “Alan Dye’s legacy,” quips the publish reply beneath, exhibiting a half-readable Steve Jobs quote.
Alan Dye’s legacy pic.twitter.com/e316oZmTsr
— jeb (@Namelongnumbers) December 3, 2025
“After Liquid Glass, arduous to inform whether or not this can be a win for Meta or Apple,” quipped one wag on X.
“Oh no, not this man,” was Primary Apple Man’s sarcastic take.
Oh no, not this man… https://t.co/jJWDNixdLd pic.twitter.com/29wMwYSQ95
— Primary Apple Man (@BasicAppleGuy) December 3, 2025
Apple’s design group transition
Dye is being changed by Stephen Lemay, a longtime Apple designer who has contributed to each main Apple interface since 1999. Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner praised Lemay in a press release, noting he “has all the time set an awfully excessive bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s tradition of collaboration and creativity.”
The transition extends a troubling sample for Apple’s design group, which has struggled with expertise retention because the 2019 departure of legendary design chief Jony Ive. Dye had assumed higher tasks following Ive’s exit, changing into instrumental in defining the feel and appear of Apple’s newest merchandise and software program.
A part of broader govt departures
After Liquid Glass, arduous to inform whether or not this can be a win for Meta or Apple.
— 𝚓 𝚊 𝚍 𝚎 (@OldManJade) December 3, 2025
Dye’s exit compounds Apple’s latest management losses. Chief Working Officer Jeff Williams retired final month after many years with the corporate, whereas AI chief John Giannandrea introduced his departure this week after years making an attempt to speed up Apple’s synthetic intelligence efforts. Former {hardware} chief Dan Riccio additionally retired final fall.
The exodus might proceed, with a number of remaining executives approaching typical retirement ages. Studies point out that silicon chief Johny Srouji and environmental initiatives head Lisa Jackson contemplating attainable strikes.
Meta’s {hardware} ambitions
Dye will report back to Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, who oversees Actuality Labs, the division growing wearable gadgets together with good glasses and digital actuality headsets. His main focus will contain integrating synthetic intelligence options into Meta’s shopper gadget lineup.
Billy Sorrentino, a senior director on Apple’s design group since 2016, will be part of Dye at Meta. Meta’s current design management, together with Josh To, Jason Rubin, and Peter Bristol, will report back to Dye within the new construction.
Regardless of the departures, Prepare dinner emphasised Apple’s continued design energy: “Design is prime to who we’re at Apple, and at this time, now we have a rare design group engaged on essentially the most modern product lineup in our historical past.”
David Snow, an knowledgeable on Apple {hardware} and software program, writes on a wide range of technological and cultural subjects for Cult of Mac. They embrace Apple information, know-how shopping for guides, and options about laptop setups and Apple TV exhibits and films.
With 30 years of expertise protecting know-how and different topics, he has written and edited for quite a few print and on-line publications, together with CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired Information, Pink Herring journal, Legislation.com, The Nationwide Legislation Journal and Legislation Expertise Information journal. Amongst different roles, he served as govt editor of the Legislation.com community of internet sites and editorial director, know-how, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse College with majors in journal journalism and psychology. Whereas there, he labored as a reporter for The Every day Orange newspaper and affiliate editor of Equal Time journal.
Founding father of the weblog On the Waterline, he will be reached on X (previously Twitter) through @atthewaterline and on Mastodon through @dsnow.