The much more visual interface of Google+ is owed to the company hiring on one of Apple's earliest software designers, an inside look at the social service's creation has revealed. Andy Hertzfeld, best known for designing core parts of the original Mac interface and a Google staffer since 2005, is the leader of design for the entire team. His influence is likely seen most in the drag-and-drop interface of Circles and other elements that shed Google's usual text-heavy layout.
