KIN: 'Full Bleed, No Chrome'

So a lot has come out in the last 72 hours about Microsoft'south KIN project. Some of us get it, a lot of us don't, near of the states still take many questions.

One interesting article, written by Microsoft itself, addresses the design process behind KIN. Although we can encounter inspiration coming from the same roots as Windows Phone 7, that is Zune (which in turn was inspired past Windows Media Device Heart), a lot of KIN comes from a dissimilar source: magazines.

Read more after the break ...

Equally it turns out, Microsoft had another program entitled "Muse" that predated "Pinkish." Muse was a inquiry project where essentially the big, out of touch on corporation tries to figure out what the "kids" desire these day in a phone. It basically involved them interacting with, interviewing and investigating the habits and wants of some two,000 volunteers. What they found out was obvious: social networking plays a big part backside usage habits these days, what with "Twit My Face up" being the top 3 services, hence the concentration in KIN.

The term "full bleed" is used to depict the layout. In printing, this style refers to printing from one edge to the other without traditional boarders and that the print runs right to the edge, without stopping short of it. Microsoft's designers decided that magazines offered the best metaphor for what the wanted to replicate--basically that all of your shut contacts have a "story." The magazine with a 'full bleed' layout stuck out the about every bit it full-bodied on the content, therefore it was chosen. As Pioneer Studios creative director Jon Friedman notes:

"We started to think nigh what magazines do really well. They help you prioritize what to read first. In that location's a teaser on the cover, and so at that place's a headline, and and so there'southward the article itself. So at that place'southward actually a start read, 2d read, and third read to that kind of content, and that'due south how the structure lives in KIN."

"No chrome" was an expression we outset heard with Windows Phone vii. It means no menus, scrollbars, etc., essentially everything that made up previous Microsoft UI layout. It too became a purposeful design decision. Combined with the magazine metaphor, social networking and full bleed and voila, you have KIN.

While the success of KIN remains to exist seen and there are many hurdles for Microsoft to overcome yet, 1 thing is becoming clear between the designs of KIN and Windows Telephone seven: style. This may audio silly, but upwards till this signal, Microsoft has steered relatively clear of any sense of UI philosophy, leaving that to their competitors like Palm, Apple tree and even HTC.

At least in that area, Microsoft now seems to go information technology and that'south a expert thing.

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