Channel 9, created in 2004, is a Microsoft community site used to promote conversations among Microsoft’s customers targeted at Microsoft Windows users and developers. It was the first project within Microsoft to offer unfiltered access to the development teams outside of the control of marketing and PR. Channel 9 features video channels, podcasts and screencasts including interviews with Microsoft developers about their products, discussions, and a wiki, which has been adopted by various Microsoft teams as a way to aggregate feedback and respond to issues.
Microsoft asked Blink to improve the site’s overall architecture while combining the content from four other sites into one cohesive experience for their users. We would also be redesigning the logo and working with another agency, thingsthatarebrown, on the visual design. As with most online communities the users are very protective of their website and forums. Any change, even the smallest change, could have a serious impact on the community and if they choose to embrace it or give up their loyalty. The biggest challenge we faced on the Channel 9 project for Microsoft was to ensure continued adoption from the existing community while accommodating participation from newer members.
After a long series of iterations we were able to finalize the new website with a solid architecture that worked for all of the various types of content and classifications of information on the site. The logo went through some minor refinements and the visual design was complete. From there we created a series of templates for the Microsoft team to integrate with the backend architecture. Microsoft came back to us to help refine the backend admin screens as well. Now the project is being reviewed by the community at large for any bugs or outstanding issues before the final launch.
Blink’s Nick Finck is an information architecture toreador. He has the ability to tame even the most bellowing projects-ones with tight deadlines, irrational stakeholders, and disturbing user experiences-to deliver an experience that just works. And the best part is that if you egg him on, he’ll even show up to a meeting in a matador outfit.
–Nishant Kothary, Creative Director, Microsoft Channel 9