The emotional side of Microsoft

February 7, 2006 By

You never knew we had an emotional side, huh? Well, we do and Jenny Lam is it.

She’s one of the most talented designers in the software industry and has already built lots of stuff you see from Microsoft. We recently had a conversation about designing experiences. Yes, we even talk about Apple. And branding. And the round start button in Windows Vista. And how geeks and designers work together to create software. Oh, all that emotional stuff that goes into what you feel when you use a product of ours.

She lists off the tools she uses. Hey, Adobe bloggers, you’ll like what you hear!

Can one person have an impact on the world? Jenny does and you will only need to look at the start button in Windows Vista to see how.

Filed Under: Blog Tips, Chat, Microsoft Office
  • J. Random Poster

    Hmm…

    Well, if as you say, she’s a talented designer, then I must surmise that her managers regularly damage her work before it gets out the door. I know I haven’t seen any example of a decent visual presentation from the Evil Empire in its entire history.

  • J. Random Poster

    Hmm…

    Well, if as you say, she’s a talented designer, then I must surmise that her managers regularly damage her work before it gets out the door. I know I haven’t seen any example of a decent visual presentation from the Evil Empire in its entire history.

  • J. Random Poster

    Hmm…

    Well, if as you say, she’s a talented designer, then I must surmise that her managers regularly damage her work before it gets out the door. I know I haven’t seen any example of a decent visual presentation from the Evil Empire in its entire history.

  • J. Random Poster

    LOL! “Experience” designer?

    I see that you even botch your attempts to track Apple’s coinage of jargon. The term is “USER Experience” (superseding “user interface”).

    But then again, the Evil Empire’s never bothered to considered the user, has it?

  • J. Random Poster

    LOL! “Experience” designer?

    I see that you even botch your attempts to track Apple’s coinage of jargon. The term is “USER Experience” (superseding “user interface”).

    But then again, the Evil Empire’s never bothered to considered the user, has it?

  • J. Random Poster

    LOL! “Experience” designer?

    I see that you even botch your attempts to track Apple’s coinage of jargon. The term is “USER Experience” (superseding “user interface”).

    But then again, the Evil Empire’s never bothered to considered the user, has it?

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  • http://jveisdal.com/ Jørgen Veisdal

    http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/

    Did you see this stuff? What do you think? What strikes me first is how they copy Vista on the look and feel, but I guess this is a great upgrade for Linux users that are stuck in a horrible graphics-era.

    The multiple desktopstuff is flashy and cool, but how good will it be for organizing? Having to scroll through 4 desktops for a file or window sounds like alot of work for both me and the machine, but something tells me that MS will be hearing alot about this stuff soon.

  • http://jveisdal.com/ Jørgen Veisdal

    http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/

    Did you see this stuff? What do you think? What strikes me first is how they copy Vista on the look and feel, but I guess this is a great upgrade for Linux users that are stuck in a horrible graphics-era.

    The multiple desktopstuff is flashy and cool, but how good will it be for organizing? Having to scroll through 4 desktops for a file or window sounds like alot of work for both me and the machine, but something tells me that MS will be hearing alot about this stuff soon.

  • http://jveisdal.com Jørgen Veisdal

    http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/

    Did you see this stuff? What do you think? What strikes me first is how they copy Vista on the look and feel, but I guess this is a great upgrade for Linux users that are stuck in a horrible graphics-era.

    The multiple desktopstuff is flashy and cool, but how good will it be for organizing? Having to scroll through 4 desktops for a file or window sounds like alot of work for both me and the machine, but something tells me that MS will be hearing alot about this stuff soon.

  • http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

    If you have a rig that you never shut down, with a lot of stuff going on, multiple desktops are brilliant. I get much the same effect with multiple monitors, so it’s not such a big deal to me, but they do indeed work well.

  • http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

    If you have a rig that you never shut down, with a lot of stuff going on, multiple desktops are brilliant. I get much the same effect with multiple monitors, so it’s not such a big deal to me, but they do indeed work well.

  • http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

    If you have a rig that you never shut down, with a lot of stuff going on, multiple desktops are brilliant. I get much the same effect with multiple monitors, so it’s not such a big deal to me, but they do indeed work well.

  • http://jveisdal.com/ Jørgen Veisdal

    I agree with that, I’m completely addicted to dualscreens, but this is really different, you don’t see all your desktops or all your stuff at once, you have to switch (kind of alt-tab) between them, and I would hate to have to mess around 4 desktops that all open different stuff.

    But I guess you could just not use it, take advantage of it. Just let it be.

  • http://jveisdal.com Jørgen Veisdal

    I agree with that, I’m completely addicted to dualscreens, but this is really different, you don’t see all your desktops or all your stuff at once, you have to switch (kind of alt-tab) between them, and I would hate to have to mess around 4 desktops that all open different stuff.

    But I guess you could just not use it, take advantage of it. Just let it be.

  • Tetra

    “I’m completely addicted to dualscreens, but this is really different, you don’t see all your desktops or all your stuff at once, you have to switch (kind of alt-tab) between them, and I would hate to have to mess around 4 desktops that all open different stuff.”

    Desktop Manager + Exposé = Heaven

  • Tetra

    “I’m completely addicted to dualscreens, but this is really different, you don’t see all your desktops or all your stuff at once, you have to switch (kind of alt-tab) between them, and I would hate to have to mess around 4 desktops that all open different stuff.”

    Desktop Manager + Exposé = Heaven

  • Goebbels

    What am I missing? Because she’s a woman and a designer, she’s “emotional.” And if 1 person out of 40,000+ represents the “emotional”, that’s not much of a SIDE, is it?

  • Goebbels

    What am I missing? Because she’s a woman and a designer, she’s “emotional.” And if 1 person out of 40,000+ represents the “emotional”, that’s not much of a SIDE, is it?

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ scobleizer

    Goebbels: she’s not the only one. Just the most respected inside Microsoft.

    Regarding whether she does user experiences or just experiences. Sorry, she’s an experience designer. Her repetoire goes further than just UIs.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ scobleizer

    Goebbels: she’s not the only one. Just the most respected inside Microsoft.

    Regarding whether she does user experiences or just experiences. Sorry, she’s an experience designer. Her repetoire goes further than just UIs.

  • scott

    Perhaps Microsoft’s crappy user experience results from designers working with geeks and not the average Joe or Jane computer user. How do you expect that a rounded start button is going to impact the world?

  • scott

    Perhaps Microsoft’s crappy user experience results from designers working with geeks and not the average Joe or Jane computer user. How do you expect that a rounded start button is going to impact the world?

  • Goebbels

    Well, Scoble, your words, not mind. You wanted to create an argument that your company has an emotional side and you only cite her.

    That could mean that she alone IS the emotional side (which is what you said) or that she ALONE is necessary to answer the question (which is patently absurd).

    In other words, you raised a question that you haven’t begun to answer. If anything, you’ve created more doubt to the issue.

    And since you 100% skipped my main question: is she “emotional” because she is a female designer? I’ll assume the answer is yes.

    That’s not only pathetic, it’s disrespectful and demeaning.

  • Goebbels

    Well, Scoble, your words, not mind. You wanted to create an argument that your company has an emotional side and you only cite her.

    That could mean that she alone IS the emotional side (which is what you said) or that she ALONE is necessary to answer the question (which is patently absurd).

    In other words, you raised a question that you haven’t begun to answer. If anything, you’ve created more doubt to the issue.

    And since you 100% skipped my main question: is she “emotional” because she is a female designer? I’ll assume the answer is yes.

    That’s not only pathetic, it’s disrespectful and demeaning.

  • J. Random Poster

    “Most respected inside Microsoft”?

    Interesting qualifier. Kind of like “most secure Windows yet”.

  • J. Random Poster

    “Most respected inside Microsoft”?

    Interesting qualifier. Kind of like “most secure Windows yet”.

  • J. Random Poster

    Scoble,

    “Her repetoire goes further than just UIs.”

    Way to miss the point.

    WHOSE experience is she accreting? (I really can’t dignify anything from the Evil Empire with a word like “designed”) Hint: it starts with a “U”!

    If she really has any design talent, it sure must suck to have her job. Imagine having the full time job of putting lipstick on a pig.

  • J. Random Poster

    Scoble,

    “Her repetoire goes further than just UIs.”

    Way to miss the point.

    WHOSE experience is she accreting? (I really can’t dignify anything from the Evil Empire with a word like “designed”) Hint: it starts with a “U”!

    If she really has any design talent, it sure must suck to have her job. Imagine having the full time job of putting lipstick on a pig.

  • I love the pig

    “Imagine having the full time job of putting lipstick on a pig.”

    No worse than hanging out here day after day, month after month, year after year, spitting venom at the pig just like a pig!

    go roll in the mud

  • I love the pig

    “Imagine having the full time job of putting lipstick on a pig.”

    No worse than hanging out here day after day, month after month, year after year, spitting venom at the pig just like a pig!

    go roll in the mud

  • J. Random Poster

    Say there, pig-lover..

    Thanks for the offer, but I’ll refrain from joining you in the mud. Windows is far too painful to use. But hey, if you love it, that’s your business. I’ll call you a fool, but I won’t lift a finger to stop you.

  • J. Random Poster

    Say there, pig-lover..

    Thanks for the offer, but I’ll refrain from joining you in the mud. Windows is far too painful to use. But hey, if you love it, that’s your business. I’ll call you a fool, but I won’t lift a finger to stop you.

  • John Gee

    What you probably DON’T say about Apple is that you watch their every move and still get it wrong.

  • John Gee

    What you probably DON’T say about Apple is that you watch their every move and still get it wrong.

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