14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has debuted a new pet project around Windows Vista breathing new life into the user experience dimension of the operating system. And as far as user experience and Windows Vista go, this project brings essential new blood into the mix as Microsoft managed to part ways with some of the main designers involved in developing the operating system.
The most recent departure from Microsoft is Tjeerd Hoek, the Director of User Experience for Windows, and top-gun of the User Experience Design of Windows Vista. Hoek has joined strategic-creative consultancy company frog design. However, before him, Jenny Lam creative lead on the Windows Vista UX team and Hillel Cooperman, another Director for UX left the Redmond Company.
With the start of the Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft is putting forward a well known name in the blogosphere: Brandon LeBlanc. "I've been hired on as a vendor to work on this awesome new project: blogging about the amazing experiences you can have with Windows Vista. Previously, I had been blogging at The Hive talking about my Windows Experiences there. So you are probably wondering what it means to be a vendor working on a project with Microsoft. Being a vendor means I'm not a full-time employee (or FTE). At Microsoft, that means I have an orange badge instead of a blue. Vendors are usually hired on a per-project basis. My project will be the Windows Experience Blog," LeBlanc revealed.
Microsoft's strategy is to appeal to Windows enthusiasts and to provide an insight into, well, this might not come as a surprise, the experiences within Windows. And I don't know why, but despite the general Windows reference I feel that this project will be focused on Windows Vista.
"And the experiences here won't always be experiences from myself or other folks at Microsoft. We want to highlight experiences *you* have as well! Expect to see lots of videos and lots of screenshots!" promised LeBlanc.