★ Mike Matas is now at Facebook

Gizmodo:

Facebook has no interest in publishing interactive e-books. According to Push Pop, “there are no plans to continue publishing new titles or building out our publishing platform that was in private beta.” Our Choice will still continue to be sold, but further profits will be donated to The Climate Reality Project. No other books will be published. Instead, “the ideas and technology behind Push Pop Press will be integrated with Facebook.”

John Gruber:

This has nothing to do with Push Pop’s products, and everything to do with Facebook building a roster of design talent to rival Apple’s. Mike Matas is responsible for and/or had a major hand in much of Apple’s best and most exuberant design work in recent memory.

TechTV Article from 2002:

Mac OS X users delight in their artistic desktop icons. But who designs these mini works of wonder? Surprisingly, it’s people like 16-year-old graphics whiz-kid Michael Matas. Watch Wednesday’s episode of “The Screen Savers” to learn Matas’ simple, step-by-step process of creating original, eye-catching icons.

I’ve been following Mike’s career since that episode aired on my favorite TV show as a teenager. Mike was my age and was blowing away Leo Laporte with his skills. Mike was already doing design for The Omni Group. He then co-founded Delicious Monster and then was recruited by Apple to make designs that are on every device we use from Apple currently. He designed features for Mac OS, iLife, iPad and iPhone. He left not too long ago and went on a hiatus where he published amazing photos via his blog.

Then, he started Push Pop Press, helped Al Gore deliver the BEST interactive book ever created via the iPad, won an Apple Design Award from the guys he worked for just a few short years ago and now….

Mike is at Facebook. The next time a stranger tells me, “You’ve accomplished so much in your life” I’m going to laugh hardily and say, “Dude, have you heard of Mike Matas? That guys…he’s done some shit.”