Design Executive Leaves Essential for Google to Lead Home, Chromecast Design

Janko Roettgers, reporting for Variety (I was not aware Variety had a Silicon Valley beat reporter):

Google has hired a former lead Pebble and webOS designer Liron Damir as the new head of user experience of its Google Home group, which works on products such as Google Home, Chromecast and Google Wifi. Damir announced that he joined Google on Linkedin this week, writing that he was “super excited and proud to be joining Google… to lead the design of Google Home products.”

A Google spokesperson confirmed the hire Thursday, but declined to comment further.

Most recently, Damir worked as head of UX for Essential, the new startup from Android founder Andy Rubin. Before that, he was VP of design at Pebble, the pioneering smart watch maker that got acquired by Fitbit in late 2016.

Seems like a bad sign for Essential that they’ve lost their head UX designer before their (overdue) first phone has even shipped.

★ Friday, 28 July 2017