Microsoft Cloud blogs

One structure for a family of blogs, tested before and after every redesign.

Information architecture
Workshops
Wireframes
Usability testing

Microsoft Cloud Marketing, via 10up LLC · Lead UX Designer

Microsoft Education Blog after the redesign

Microsoft Education Blog before the redesign

15Microsoft blogs designed and redesigned
100+localisations
15M+unique monthly visitors

01 · The brief

Modernising every blog, end to end

Microsoft Cloud Marketing set out to modernise its blog portfolio. As Lead UX Designer I owned the user experience from first workshop to final test.

That covered discovery (stakeholder interviews, workshops and user research), information architecture (taxonomies, migration maps and content audits), design (low and high fidelity wireframes, interactive prototypes and stakeholder presentations) and usability testing (testing, research and quality assurance).

The redesigned Education blogOne of fifteen blogs on the new structure

Pain points

Dated CMS systems didn't offer practicality or efficiency
Dated content no longer relevant or accurate
Content discovery issues
Lack of intelligent search and filter capabilities
No sharing and social functionality
Dated and bland UI design

Solutions

Information architecture overhaul
Content audits and sunsetting
New content categorisation
Discovery functionality designed around the new categorisation
Redesign of key pages
A facelift for the UI
Robust usability testing

02 · Discovery workshops

Tailored workshops for every blog.

I designed and led multiple UX workshops for every blog, each shaped around that blog's content, audience and challenges.

Workshop boardsAudience, content and IA, navigation and taxonomy

03 · Information architecture

New taxonomies, enabling content findability.

Content audits on every blog fed a new IA built on four facets: content type, product, topic and audience.

Once discovery had surfaced the requirements, I ran a comprehensive content audit on each blog. Each audit ended in a new IA, categorisation (taxonomies, tags and so on) and migration mapping documentation.

The problem

Every blog needed one unified way of categorising content, while enabling flexibility for each blog's unique content.

The solution

Create new IA structure, then design the experience around it.

The new IAContent type, product, topic and audience

Migration mappingExisting content mapped to the new categories

04 · Design

Wireframes for key pages.

Once the IA was approved I created low-fidelity wireframes of the key pages and interaction points, then took them to stakeholders for feedback and approval.

Home
Search
Post
Archive
404

Low-fi wireframesThe home page, with stakeholder comments

Hi-fi home, desktopFrom wireframe to designed page

Hi-fi home, mobileThe same structure, one column

05 · Usability testing

Every blog, tested before and after.

Alongside the design work I spearheaded a usability testing project: I developed a framework for Microsoft, then tested every blog that was designed or redesigned.

Across the programme that came to 50+ usability tests, run before and after the redesigns. On average, all tested metrics (SEQ, SUS, SUPR-Q and NPS) increased after the redesign.

Go deeperUsability testing at MicrosoftHow I built the testing framework, and what it turned up.

Results presentationSUPR-Q, pre and post redesign

06 · Final thoughts

Designing fifteen blogs over two years

Over two years I led the design and redesign of 15 Microsoft blog assets with over 100 localisations. Microsoft was 10up's largest client and being trusted with such an important retainer was an honour.

07 · The pages