Microsoft.com is a website made by microsoft to sell the microsoft office suite. This site fits within the general aesthetic of what one would imagine a corporate website to look like. To better analyze the site I will be using Dieter Rams: 10 Timeless Commandments for Good Design.

Is innovative – 

Microsoft.com is not an innovative website. It is similar in appearance to other websites that sell software suites like adobe. In some ways it is inferior to adobe as it lacks moving images. There is the standard top bar for navigation that drops down into a series of layered menus that one would expect from a site like this. In some ways this is good as it makes the website familiar and easy to navigate. 

Makes a product useful – 

The website does include a support section which does make the software more useful. The support section is a little dense. It is mostly a list of lists which is not very appealing, but when a user looks up an issue online they are likely to just land on the support page for that issue so it is uncommon to have to navigate the support tab.

Is aesthetic –

 The website does have a simple and consistent aesthetic. A white page of blocks with text and images. To be nitpicky some of the images are rounded while some have sharp corners while others feather in. This does not really damage the aesthetic but it is noticeable.

Makes a product understandable –

The site does detail some places one might wish to use the product under the product tag such as “For Home” or “For Businesses”. This does make the product more understandable in a sort of implicit way. It describes the product in a way that also organizes it. 

Is unobtrusive –

The website is not intrusive. there was one popup upon first entry but I closed it out and there were no more popups after that even after reloading. 

Is honest – 

The same product is sold in many different ways which can be seen as dishonest. The same programs are sold in many different packages which are advertised to different people but they remain more or less the same. I don’t know if this is somehow bad for consumers but it seems dishonest. 

Is long-lasting – 

Most web design has a short shelf life. It is up to Microsoft to continually maintain this website as to not let it become dated. 

Is thorough down to the last detail – 

There are no obvious errors made on this site. As far as I am aware everything is accurate. The pages that are behind a series of links and menus can be a little barren.  

Is environmentally friendly –

The environmental impact of microsoft.com can not be worsened or lessened by its design. It does take processing power from a server which does use electricity. I do not know how the design of a website can affect this power consumption. 

Involves as little design as possible –

A lot of this website is a series of lists which link to pages covered in more lists. To this effect not many design decisions had to be made.