Essential’s lead UX designer leaves to head up Google Home

Between delays, losing a top marketing executive, and ho-hum reception to the Essential phone, Andy Rubin needs a bit of a break. His company won’t get one with the latest news.

Company man Liron Damir has seemingly left to head up the UX team for Google Home, or so says his LinkedIn profile. He essentially upgraded. Teehee.

Damir was formerly the VP of Design for Pebble, and also had a hand in adapting webOS for HP and LG’s various non-smartphone products. With Essential, he had basically been in charge of everything UX.

You would think “no big deal” seeing as how Essential’s products are basically set in stone, however this figures to be a pretty big burden on the company as they’ll need to ensure they have someone carrying out the vision they have set in stone. Not only does it have implications for the current products — there are always pre-launch and post-launch tweaks to be made — but obviously impacts their core going forward.

Meanwhile, Google is having a blast with Chromecast, Google Home, Android TV, et al. currently pressing the market, and this acquisition can only mean better things the Mountain View company.

[via The Verge]