Meta Hires Apple Design Chief Alan Dye to Lead AI Hardware Push

Alan Dye is a prominent design executive known for his extensive leadership in user interface and human interface design, primarily at Apple Inc. He joined Apple in 2006, initially working on the company’s product packaging and unboxing experience, which played a key role in shaping Apple's first impressions with consumers[1][3]. By 2015, Dye had become the head of Apple’s Design Studio, overseeing software design across major Apple platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the Vision Pro headset[1][3]. Dye contributed significantly to several major Apple design milestones. He was instrumental in the 2013 redesign of iOS 7, introducing a flat user interface, updated typography, and new iconography, which marked a major visual shift for Apple’s software[3]. He also played a core role in designing the Apple Watch user interface, including watch faces and features like Activity Rings, ECG, and fall detection[1][3]. His work extended to innovations such as the Dynamic Island on iPhone, Apple’s spatial computing platform visionOS for Vision Pro, and the Liquid Glass UI refresh launched in 2025, which unified Apple’s design language across multiple operating systems[1][3]. Before Apple, Dye worked in branding and advertising, including roles at Kate Spade and Ogilvy & Mather, and began his career at Landor Associates[2][4]. His background in graphic and product packaging design informed his approach to user experience design at Apple[2]. In late 2025, Dye left Apple to join Meta as chief design officer, where he will lead a new creative studio focused on integrating hardware, software, and AI-driven design for Meta’s consumer devices, including smart glasses and virtual reality headsets. He reports directly to Meta’s CTO and heads the Reality Labs design efforts starting December 31, 2025[1][5]. Dye is recognized for blending aesthetics, technology, and user experience across platforms, making him a key figure in modern digital design.

Stephen Lemay is a prominent software designer known for his extensive and influential work at Apple Inc., where he has been a key figure on the Human Interface team since 1999. He has contributed to the design and development of major Apple operating systems and products, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, Siri, and visionOS. Lemay played a critical role in the original iPhone interface team and is credited on hundreds of Apple patents, including the landmark final master patent for the iPhone, highlighting his innovative contributions to virtual keyboards, gesture-based text selection, and handwriting input on electronic devices[1][5]. Lemay's design influence spans over two decades, shaping the user experience of Apple's most iconic products. He is recognized internally at Apple by the nickname “Margaret” and praised by CEO Tim Cook for his pivotal role in defining Apple's interface design. Beyond his technical achievements, Lemay has an artistic background rooted in his education at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, where he first developed a passion for the Macintosh platform and graphic design, blending art and technology in his career[1][5]. Currently, Lemay serves as Apple's head of user interface design, a position that has generated excitement among design professionals regarding Apple's future innovation in software interfaces[6]. His work remains central to Apple's continuing evolution in creating intuitive and aesthetically refined user experiences across its ecosystem. There is no indication of recent events beyond his ongoing leadership role at Apple as of the latest available information.

Sir Jonathan Paul "Jony" Ive (born February 27, 1967) is a British-American industrial designer renowned for his influential role at Apple Inc. He joined Apple full-time in 1992 and rose to prominence after Steve Jobs returned as CEO in 1997, eventually becoming senior vice president of industrial design[1][2]. Ive’s design leadership was pivotal in shaping Apple’s iconic products, including the iMac (1998), iPod (2001), iPhone (2007), and iPad (2010), all known for their sleek, minimalist aesthetics and innovative use of materials and form[1][2][3]. Ive’s design philosophy emphasized simplicity, ease of use, and obsessive attention to detail, which helped redefine consumer expectations for technology products. The iMac G3’s translucent, colorful design was a breakthrough that contributed to Apple’s financial turnaround in the late 1990s[2]. Steve Jobs regarded Ive as his "spiritual partner" and granted him significant operational authority, second only to Jobs within the company[3]. Beyond Apple, Ive has contributed to design education. In 2017, he was appointed Chancellor of the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, a role he held at least until early 2023, overseeing the institution as an academic administrator and promoting design excellence[1]. After leaving Apple in 2019, Ive founded his own design firm, LoveFrom, continuing his work in product design and innovation, although this is less documented in the current sources. His legacy remains tied to transforming industrial design in technology, influencing multiple industries globally[1][5]. Ive’s contributions have earned him numerous honors, including an honorary degree from the RCA in 2009 and a knighthood. His work is widely regarded as a defining force in modern product design and the tech industry’s visual identity[1][2][5].