Designer responsible for the HTC One departs, leaves questions in his wake

Scott Croyle, the head of design at HTC and the person who you can thank for the HTC One and HTC One (M8)'s stunning design, is leaving his post.

HTC confirmed Croyle's plans to leave the smartphone firm. Having led HTC's industrial design and user experience teams since 2008, Croyle says he's exiting to work on his own projects.

However, the former HTC head of design won't sever ties with the company immediately. HTC described the move as a "long-term transition," and Croyle will stick around to help consult on product development for a few more months.

Projects we imagine him assisting with include the rumored Nexus 8 tablet and HTC smartwatch, as well as the future HTC One (M9).

Passing the baton

With Croyle moving on, Jonah Becker will likely assume responsibility of the studio after standing in as the head of design's right-hand man.

Over the past year many members of HTC's executive team have jumped ship, but Croyle's departure could represent a tonal shift for the company's products. Croyle was responsible for not only the machined industrial design of the HTC One line but the continued use of the Ultra Pixel camera.

Both the HTC One and HTC One M8 have earned rave reviews for their look and feel, and while we're likely in for more Croyle-inspired products for the next few launches, where HTC is headed design-wise is a mystery. Will the company stick to its now-signature handset aesthetic, or take a radical new direction in 2-3 years?

In another design team shuffle, Drew Bamford is now in charge of all of HTC's software and services, a jump from his work simply overseeing the Sense user experience.

• Will this corporate shake up be a boon for the Samsung Galaxy S5 and future devices?

Via The Verge