iPhone Liquid Glass UI designer Alan Dye leaves Apple, to join Meta as chief design officer

One of Apple’s most influential design minds is making a surprise move to the rival camp. Alan Dye, the man behind the sleek Liquid Glass interface that defined Apple’s most recent software overhaul, is leaving the company after nearly two decades to join Meta as its new Chief Design Officer, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Dye, who has shaped the look and feel of Apple’s software since the era of the iPhone 5, will officially begin his new role at Meta on December 31. His shift marks one of the biggest crossovers between Silicon Valley’s two design powerhouses in years. At Meta, he will lead a newly formed design studio responsible for both hardware and software experiences, with a particular focus on AI-driven headsets and smart glasses, key components of Meta’s push into the augmented and mixed reality market.
From Apple’s design team to Meta’s moonshot lab
Alan Dye joined Apple in 2006, beginning his journey as a creative director in the marketing and communications team before finding his true calling in interface design. By 2012, he had joined Jony Ive’s legendary design group, where he helped craft the radical visual shift that came with iOS 7. That minimalist, flat aesthetic not only redefined Apple’s visual identity but also influenced an entire decade of software design across the industry.
When Jony Ive moved into the role of Chief Design Officer in 2015, Dye stepped up to lead Apple’s user interface design team, steering the visual evolution of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and later visionOS. Over the years, his team introduced subtle but powerful refinements that kept Apple’s operating systems cohesive, intuitive, and instantly recognisable.
Most recently, Dye played a major part in developing the Vision Pro’s interface, bringing spatial computing to life with Apple’s signature visual polish. He also oversaw this year’s Liquid Glass design update for iOS 26 and macOS 26, which reimagined Apple’s classic transparency and motion effects for a new generation of devices.
His departure marks the end of an era for Apple’s Human Interface Design team, which has been instrumental in shaping the company’s identity since the days of the original iPhone.
Apple’s next chapter: Stephen Lemay steps in
Apple has already named Stephen Lemay, a veteran designer who’s been with the company for over 25 years, as Dye’s successor. Lemay has long been part of the core design team and has contributed to nearly every major Apple interface since 1999.
In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook praised Lemay’s appointment, saying: “Steve Lemay has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999. He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s culture of collaboration and creativity. Design is fundamental to who we are at Apple, and today, we have an extraordinary design team working on the most innovative product lineup in our history.”
Lemay’s task will be to continue Apple’s tradition of marrying technical sophistication with visual simplicity, a challenge that grows as the company ventures deeper into spatial computing and AI-driven experiences.
Meta’s big design play
Meanwhile, Meta is betting that Dye’s arrival will help sharpen its hardware design vision. The company is rapidly evolving beyond its social media roots, pushing into immersive technologies through Quest headsets, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and new AI-integrated devices.
Dye’s move suggests Meta is serious about unifying the look and usability of its ecosystem, much as Apple has done for decades. His deep understanding of user experience and cross-platform design could prove pivotal as Meta refines its hardware ambitions and competes directly with Apple’s own Vision Pro line.
For Dye, the challenge ahead is formidable, transforming Meta’s diverse portfolio into something that feels as cohesive and human-centred as the platforms he helped craft at Apple. Yet his career so far shows a knack for redefining digital experiences, from the first minimalist iOS redesign to the cutting-edge spatial UIs of today.
As Apple doubles down on its Avatar of product design under Stephen Lemay and Meta chases its dream of an AI-powered metaverse, Alan Dye’s move represents more than a career switch. It’s a symbolic shift in the tech world’s design philosophy, from Apple’s perfectionist restraint to Meta’s experimental energy. The next great interface revolution, it seems, might happen in Menlo Park.
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