Behind the Design of Windows phone 7

[Jason Dunn]

<p><object width="600" height="360" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/DAzKkfAeFwY&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DAzKkfAeFwY&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" /></object></p><p>This is a Microsoft produced video where Albert Shum, Director of Mobile Experience Design at Microsoft, discusses the design inspiration for Windows Phone 7 Series. What do you think of how he describes what a phone experience should be? Does this sync up with what you want from your mobile phone?</p>

[randalllewis]

Living nearby, I know for a fact how much effort Microsoft puts into talking with users and experimenting with ideas and designs. I've been involved with some of that since pre Windows 95. So when Albert talks about how much they listened to users desires in the new design, I believe him.

But this concept of user input works best when the creative team is allowed to rethink everything which they were clearly allowed to do with WinMo7. I am sure they also used user input in developing earlier WinMo versions, but in those cases the amount of freedom the team had was far more limited.

WinMo7, the Zune HD, Win 7 all show that Microsoft still has some creative and talented people who can compete with anyone.....if management lets them.

[egads]

To sum up all the vid's showing off WinMo7 in this thread: Yuk.

I know this is not a final version, but I was really disappointed with the speed of the UI. VERY sluggish. I don't own a iPhone or even like them that much, but the UI is very snappy.<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p


<O:p</O:pMS also has to remember that all the people who own/use WinMo phones do not have a expensive monthly data plan. I saw way too much crap that requires you to have a data connection running open all of the time. This looks to be targeting teens through mid twenties FaceBook & Twitter people out there.
<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p
WinMo7 features I was hoping for:<O:p</O:p
Fast UI.<O:p</O:p
Finger friendly.<O:p</O:p
Fast UI.<O:p</O:p
Great web browser.<O:p</O:p
Fast UI.<O:p</O:p
Zune player.<O:p</O:p
And last but not least a fast UI.
<O:p</O:p
<O:p</O:p
From the videos I saw, the Zune player was the only item that made my list. It did seem more finger friendly, but the UI was so slow that it seemed to negate any advances there.

I hope this was just a slow prototype...

[Macguy59]

It's clearly a gamble to get the consumer market. As one site put it "Is it a game changer ? No. But it keeps them in the game". I hate the block metaphor of the start screen but the rest has potential. I'm not sure how people are going to react to the wall concept where it gives the impression that the graphics have run off the screen showing partial words. I'm not seeing the ultra fast UI that Jason refers to in his rundown but it's not as clunky as some make it out to be either. I don't know if this will jump start the consumer segment but MS deserves kudos for thinking outside the box on this one