According to Wired, Meta has hired two prominent designers away from Apple: Alan Dye, Apple’s former vice president of Human Interface Design, and Billy Sorrentino, a senior director on Apple’s design team. They will lead a new design studio within Meta’s Reality Labs division. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the hires on Threads, stating the duo would blend design, fashion, and technology for next-gen products. Analyst Anshel Sag notes this is a clear move to fix Meta’s “software nightmare” of inconsistent user interfaces across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Quest. The hires come as Meta aggressively invests in AI and its Ray-Ban smart glasses, while also considering budget cuts to Reality Labs.
Meta Finally Admits Its Software Is a Mess
Here’s the thing: this is a stunning admission. Meta has always been a data and engagement machine, but its actual software experience? It’s often been an afterthought. You’ve felt it if you’ve ever switched between the clunky Quest interface, the constantly-changing Instagram app, and the bloated Facebook website. They don’t feel like they’re from the same company, let alone part of a cohesive ecosystem. Hiring Apple‘s head of Human Interface Design isn’t just a talent grab; it’s a white flag. Meta is conceding that Apple’s philosophy of polished, consistent user experience is the model to beat, especially when you’re trying to get people to wear your computers on their faces.
It’s Not Just About Looking Pretty
Zuckerberg’s post talks about fashion, and sure, that’s huge for wearables. People won’t wear ugly tech, no matter how powerful. The success of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses proves that. But analyst Anshel Sag hits the real nail on the head. The core problem is functionality. If the UI is a confusing, inconsistent nightmare, people just won’t stick around. Meta’s empire is built on keeping your attention. If their own software pushes you away, that’s an existential threat. So this design studio’s first job isn’t to make things sleek—it’s to make them make sense. They need to create a unified language that works from your smart glasses to your VR headset to your phone app. That’s a monumental task.
A Risky Bet During a Pivot
The timing is fascinating, and a bit risky. Meta is pouring “seemingly endless money” into AI, as Wired notes, while reportedly eyeing cuts to Reality Labs. So they’re bringing in top-tier, undoubtedly expensive design talent to lead a new studio in a division that might be tightening its belt. It sends a mixed signal. But it also shows where Zuck’s priorities lie: the future interface won’t be just buttons and menus, it’ll be conversations with an AI. Getting that interaction right—making it intuitive, helpful, and maybe even delightful—is the next frontier. Dye oversaw the Vision Pro’s spatial UI and the divisive iOS redesign. That experience with next-generation, AI-adjacent interfaces is probably the real prize here, more than any fashion sense.
Can Apple Culture Survive at Meta?
This is the billion-dollar question. Apple’s design process is legendary for its focus, iteration, and sometimes stubborn perfectionism. Meta’s culture is famously more “move fast and break things.” Can designers used to Apple’s meticulous, hardware-software integration thrive in Meta’s sprawling, metaverse-and-AI-chasing environment? Billy Sorrentino, a former creative director at WIRED, brings a media perspective, but Alan Dye is pure Apple. His last major project was the “Liquid Glass” iOS design that some found beautiful but hard to read. Will Meta give him the time and authority to rebuild foundations, or will he just be putting lipstick on a very fast-moving, broken robot? The success of this hire won’t be measured by a slick launch video, but by whether using a Quest or a Meta AI feels fundamentally better in two years. I’m skeptical, but I’m also curious. They’ve at least identified the right problem.
