The exec Google hired to oversee Glass is now in charge of design for all hardware products
Ivy Ross, who previously served as head of Google's computer glasses effort, is now overseeing the design and user experience for all hardware products, according to her LinkedIn page.
The new title reflects Google and parent company Alphabet's efforts to build new businesses that complement its internet services stronghold.
Google is ramping up its efforts to build its own hardware devices, with a new home-speaker device that will compete with Amazon's popular Echo, slated for release in the next few months.
In April, Google hired former Motorola executive Rick Osterloh to helm the hardware group, which includes the Nexus line of phones and tablets, the Chromecast TV dongle and other products.
Ross, a fashion industry veteran, will focus on making sure the various gadgets are easy to use and have a look and feel that appeals to consumers. That's something that Google has struggled with in the past, particularly with the Glass device that Google launched a few years ago and for which Ross was hired to oversee.
The futuristic-looking Glass product initially wowed the techie crowd, but was quickly criticized for being difficult to use and for its geeky appearance. Google stopped selling Glass to consumers in 2015 and renamed the Glass division Project Aura, as Business Insider reported at the time.
Google declined to comment on Ross's new role.