HTC’s One smartphones have been a beacon of superior design among Android handsets, yet amid slumping sales even that bright light is dimming for the struggling smartphone maker as its head of design has decided to leave the company.

The man behind HTC’s One smartphone line, Scott Croyle, has announced that he is leaving the Taiwanese company after leading the industrial design and user experience teams since his studio One & Co was acquired in 2008.

Croyle says  he’s heading out to work on his own projects, but HTC told The Verge that the move is a long-term transition that will have Croyle overseeing product development in a consultancy role for the next few months.

A number of executive changes have rocked HTC in the last few months, but Croyles departure has been the most visible thus far, and comes at a pivotal point for the company as it tries to gain ground on Samsung’s marketshare and break into the wearable market.

Replacing the talented designer won’t be an easy task, but Croyle’s underling Jonah Becker will most likely takeover his role as lead designer at the HTC Studio in San Francisco, will Drew Bamford has been promoted to oversee all HTC software and services.

Source: The Verge