# Michael An > Director of Product Design at Meta | Wearables, VR & Hardware Experience Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/michaelan with a long-standing focus on hardware, wearables, and immersive devices. Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across consumer electronics, gaming hardware, and wearable platforms — from early industrial design roles at Nintendo, to wearable product design at Garmin, and most recently leading product design for VR and wearable devices at Meta. My work spans hands-on industrial and product design, building and evolving hardware platforms, and mentoring design teams from early concept development through production. I work closely with engineering, research, and product partners to balance innovation, usability, and manufacturability. I’m especially motivated by creating well-designed, thoughtful hardware products, and by helping design teams grow while staying grounded in real-world constraints and practical considerations. ## Work Experience ### Director of Product Design, Wearables & VR @ Meta Jan 2022 – Present | Bay Area, California, United States Lead product design for wearable and VR hardware within Reality Labs, contributing to multiple shipped products across the Quest platform. Drove end-to-end hardware experience design, from early concept through production, balancing usability, performance, and manufacturability. Partnered closely with engineering and research teams to translate emerging technologies into viable consumer products. Scaled shared hardware design systems across programs, improving consistency and reducing development cycles. Remained hands-on in key programs, contributing directly to industrial design direction and critical product decisions. ### Design Director, Hardware Experience @ Meta Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 Led multidisciplinary teams designing next-generation VR headsets and early wearable concepts. Defined product direction from concept exploration to production readiness, aligning design vision with engineering constraints. Played a key role in shaping early iterations of Meta’s wearable device strategy. ### Product Design Manager / Senior Product Designer @ Meta Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 Contributed to the design and development of VR hardware, including iterations of the Quest and Rift product lines. Worked closely with engineering to bring design concepts into mass production. Helped refine ergonomics, materials, and user interaction for long-duration wear. ### Senior Product Designer @ Garmin Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Olathe, Kansas, United States Led design of wearable devices across fitness and outdoor categories, focusing on durability and usability in real-world conditions. Introduced new materials and construction methods to improve comfort and long-term wear. ### Product Designer @ Garmin Jan 2014 – Jan 2016 | Olathe, Kansas, United States Focused on industrial design and user interface design for smartwatches and fitness trackers. Introduced new materials and manufacturing approaches to improve comfort and long-term wearability. ### Design Lead @ Nintendo Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 | Redmond, Washington, United States Contributed to the design of controllers and console hardware, focusing on usability, form factor, and manufacturability. Collaborated with global teams to bring products from concept to mass production. ### Design Lead / Senior Industrial Designer @ Nintendo Jan 2008 – Jan 2012 | Redmond, Washington, United States Led industrial design efforts for controllers, accessories, and console-related hardware. Guided small design teams while remaining hands-on in concept development and design execution. Coordinated closely with engineering, manufacturing, and global partners to ensure design feasibility. ### Industrial Designer @ Nintendo Jan 2005 – Jan 2008 | Redmond, Washington, United States Contributed to the design and prototyping of game controllers and handheld accessories. Supported design validation, material selection, and manufacturability analysis. ### Junior Industrial Designer @ Nintendo Jan 2003 – Jan 2005 | Redmond, Washington, United States Participated in the design and prototyping of game consoles and handheld devices. Assisted the product design team with material selection and manufacturability analysis. Supported user experience testing, collected feedback, and optimized designs. ## Education ### Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Industrial and Product Design The University of Kansas ### Master of Science (MS) in Product Design Engineering University of California, Berkeley ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/michael-an-1b6778123 --- Source: https://flows.cv/michaelan JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/michaelan/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13