Stephen Peaslee - UX + Product

MICROSOFT

Releasing Win10

UI/UX
DEV

Art
Intro
CASE STUDY

Project details

The connection between design and development

I spent '2013-14 worked on Microsoft projects through the agency R2i as a vendor, and in '2014-15 I worked at Microsoft directly on a year contract as a Design Integrator on the Windows team in Redmond helping release Windows 10.

Our team was made up of highly skilled designer/developer hybrids with the goal of bridging the gap between development and design teams. We worked in development roles, but on design oriented aspects where we could collaborate with other departments as-needed.

During my time at Microsoft, I was utilized on a great number of exciting projects and initiatives leading up to the release of Windows 10. I helped build the back-end of the Windows store, worked extensively on first-run experience, managed and built core CSS framework used throughout OS, and developed a demo experience that was shipped with Windows and seen in retail outlets worldwide.

*Please note: most of the work on Win10 I was unable to share actual project screenshots due to NDA.

Insights Await

Insights Await board

THE PROJECT

Microsoft was holding an event in San Francisco, called 'Insights Await' where they would create an infinity room, showcasing technology in an art-installation style exhibit showing off big data visualizations. The Baltimore-based agency R2i was contracted to help Microsoft on marketing and execution for the event.

I worked with an East-coast art director, and UX designer, and local Seattle project manager and social team. Microsoft hired us to help them develop more awareness around the campaign before, during and after, as well as create a digital experience with MS branding that is carried from digital to the physical space.

THE SOLUTION

Our teams collaborated between East and West coast, and came up with a campaign concept to pitch to Microsoft, which was accepted and implemented for a successful event.

The concept included a pre, during and post concept where social networking would be leveraged at all points of the process, keeping the excitement going, and maintaining a consistent experience throughout the lifecycle bridging print and digital.

PRE EVENT

Leading up to the event, we created awareness of the campaign and buzz for the infinity room concept.

We started by pairing paid advertising with a social campaign, and generated conversations within communities of interest in the local area of SF.

During this time we created a digital experience that would be used at the event.

We created a stunt board to connect people viewing the digital experience and commenting online with the people at the actual event in San Francisco in real-time. We implemented a management app so that we could measure results, and curate any off-comments that happened to be posted. After coming up with the design, I converted it into HTML and implemented the management application.

DURING EVENT

At the event, we used printed banners and trade-show style flags to extend the brand and creative out into the lobby of the auditorium for a fully themed experience.

We showcased large monitors in the event, to show a reworked display-ui of the social buzz surrounding the event, including people's selfies, comments and emojis as they were happening via Twitter.

Our digital experience provided a 360 view of the Infinity Room where digital participants could join in and comment too. Bridge to this 3D application was provided by Microsoft and implemented by myself.

POST

After the event had ended, and the infinity room moved away, we posted highlights from the event on social channels, and moved the digital experience into post-mode where it could act as a digital art-piece showing how the event unfolded.

We then took all of the analytics gathered from the social, stunt board and experience visits and prepared a report to show Microsoft the overall impact of our work.

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