Just lately, Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, on the firm’s Imaginative and prescient 2025 occasion, talked about how the imaginative and prescient for Intel going ahead could be to deal with buyer suggestions and efficiency. A humorous quippy touch upon that article by Neowin discussion board member Mike Metal caught my consideration. Mike wrote:

It might be attention-grabbing if Microsoft had this ideology additionally – make software program what the customers need.

At present it is “make MS software program a platform to promote different MS software program”, like “Home windows is now not an OS, it is an commercial platform for Workplace 365 and Copilot”.

Coincidentally, a Microsoft worker lately steered that person suggestions was, in reality, a bit on the again seat when the corporate was designing Home windows 8. The remark was made by Harold Gomez, who was probably within the place of a UI designer at the moment.

Microsoft held a down-the-memory-lane type of occasion lately the place it regarded again on the evolution of Home windows design over time. It is smart contemplating the corporate is presently celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with of us like Invoice Gates sharing a historic piece of his work.

Gomez mentioned Microsoft designers relied extra on their very own instincts to make one thing trendy like Home windows 8 (Metro UI) as a substitute of person and buyer suggestions:

A part of the design course of is attempting to steadiness person suggestions together with your design instincts. We actually couldn’t have gotten to what Home windows 8 was with the Metro visible fashion, solely counting on buyer suggestions. It was one thing prospects would by no means have requested for as a result of we lived in a really iPhone world at the moment.

Home windows design took a pivot and tried to create one thing totally different whereas rooted in our design ethos and rules. We experimented with info design, typography, layouts, and making movement design an integral a part of our techniques. We did the work round understanding what our prospects’ wants had been and matched these insights with our design instincts, which helped us create one thing particular.

That didn’t prove so nicely for the corporate since everyone knows what occurred with Home windows 8 after its launch. The OS was hit with widespread backlash as customers hated the truth that the helpful and intuitive Begin button was eliminated, and Microsoft was compelled to convey it again actual quickly with Home windows 8.1.

Has Microsoft realized its lesson? Tell us what you assume within the feedback under!