Today Microsoft is thought to have unveiled a new look MSN for the UK, although I haven’t found any official word on this yet the the new look site will be going live at 8:30 PM. The new design for the site keeps the basic look, blue background and header with many links, but adds some much needed refinement and features to match that of the US MSN pages.
The site will allow users to sign in to Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter and receive all the latest news from those sites right on the MSN homepage. There will also be a continuation of the focus on Windows Live Hotmail and Messenger well as Internet Explorer all right at the top of the page. Users familiar with the US site will notice the content boxes, highlighted by the blue lines, which allow for easy switching between the tabbed sections of the information boxes, making it much easier for people to read the content they want to without leaving the page.
Another aspect of the new design to note is the prominence of the MSN Video Player, Microsoft answer in the UK to Hulu in the US, which although doing well has suffered from lack of discoverability. The MSN logo also appears to be being changed to match the US version.
After first seeing the image of the new design for the US version of MSN I have been eagerly waiting for a redesign of the UK site, that finally seems to be coming albeit in only a few areas.
I will let you know if I hear anything more official from Microsoft about this.
New: I have just been sent the Press Release about the MSN update and the claim the MSN page is the UK’s “most popular news and entertainment portal homepage” with 20.6 million unique visitors each month. They claim that the new site “is faster to download, adds more video content, more news and adds access to Facebook and Twitter as well as Microsoft services like Hotmail and Windows Live”.
They have identified some of the most important new features as:
- Social media – an integrated social networking section that means users can access and update Windows Live, Facebook and Twitter directly from the homepage
- More news – an innovative news info-pane, with top headlines, breaking stories and weird and wonderful tales from around the world
- Bigger and better Hotmail – Hotmail inbox from the homepage, allowing them to be updated when new mail has been received
- Larger images – a new slideshow at the top of the homepage that provides consumers with access to up-to-the-minute news, exclusive editors’ picks and the latest new videos at the click of a button. Sports, Cars and Money also have a new spot on the homepage, while the simple alphabetical navigation bar locates MSN channels instantly
- New brand – a sleek new MSN logo that has been rolled out across the UK site, synching up with the new global brand of MSN
- Content – all the best from user favourites, such as Entertainment, Life & Style, Tech & Gadgets, Shopping, Him, as well as personal essentials like Local, Weather, and Horoscopes.
- Video – the ability to watch clips from within the homepage, plus access to the latest HD videos and VOD with MSN Video Player
Perhaps most importantly you can check out the new features of the revised MSN site at http://www.tourmsn.co.uk/, enjoy.
