Meet the Industrial Design Team (Channel 9)

Meet the Industrial Design Team

Posted: Apr 15, 2009 at 7:09 AM

By: Larry Larsen

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Truth be told, I'm just a huge fan of the Arc Mouse. I like everything about it and along with earbuds and phone it's a gadget that I always tend to have in my pocket. Recently while sitting on hold I spent far too long fascinated by the mouse and all the considerations that were taken in by the designers. It's time we introduce you to the folks who come up with Microsoft's hardware. They are Ralf Groene, Team Manager, Design Leads Monique Chatterjee and Jan Raken, and Industrial Designers Kate Bailey, Lindsey Kujawski, Chris Kujawski, and Anthony Reed.

I would have loved to show you the area they work in, but because far too many forthcoming miracles are in various states of foam and sketch around the room, it wasn't to be. But suffice to say it's one of the coolest spaces I've seen yet with offices circling a common space with Foosball and a kegerator. No cube farms here. So join me and meet the people who make it easy to take gadget comfort for granted.

I'd like to see more medium size desktop mouse with comfort but not total weird ergo shape, something like 3/4 of the size Logitech G5 and with similar features (atleast sensitivity control+back button). I forget what was the mouse but it had a slider that returns to center, I like that idea too. One could make a platform in which the back button at the thumb location rests and use the thumb/back button also as a slider when held down. It should be designed so that it's not moving around unless user decisively intends to do so. Alternatively maybe there could be a touch sensitive area that had similar functionality to zoom slider (release touch and it stops the action). If both the back/forward button feature could be combined with a zoom slider that restores to neutral on release in a smart way that felt robust and is reliable then all the better.

Also the notebook mices are too small when you want a desktop mouse but smaller than G5, the razers are slightly too flat or long, and generally many small mices do not have the back (nvm forward) buttons! I can't stress how critical feature it is to have atleast the back button regardless of how tiny the mouse is or what purpose it is for!

And I hope MS has improved the scroll wheel materials since the notoriously bad soft rubber wheel in notebook optical mouse "model 1020" that was guaranteed to soften and start fracturing away in month or two.

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androidi

Apr 15, 2009 at 4:53 PM quote reply

I'd like to see more medium size desktop mouse with comfort but not total weird ergo shape, something like 3/4 of the size Logitech G5 and with similar features (atleast sensitivity control+back button). I forget what was the mouse but it had a slider that returns to center, I like that idea too. One could make a platform in which the back button at the thumb location rests and use the thumb/back button also as a slider when held down. It should be designed so that it's not moving around unless user decisively intends to do so. Alternatively maybe there could be a touch sensitive area that had similar functionality to zoom slider (release touch and it stops the action). If both the back/forward button feature could be combined with a zoom slider that restores to neutral on release in a smart way that felt robust and is reliable then all the better.

Also the notebook mices are too small when you want a desktop mouse but smaller than G5, the razers are slightly too flat or long, and generally many small mices do not have the back (nvm forward) buttons! I can't stress how critical feature it is to have atleast the back button regardless of how tiny the mouse is or what purpose it is for!

And I hope MS has improved the scroll wheel materials since the notoriously bad soft rubber wheel in notebook optical mouse "model 1020" that was guaranteed to soften and start fracturing away in month or two.
LarryLarsen A new world man putting the new world in order.

Apr 15, 2009 at 5:18 PM quote reply

That's what I like about the Arc, it's small enough (due to folding) to be very portable, but big enough to feel like a full mouse. It also has a back button.
Curt Nichols No Silver Bullet

Apr 16, 2009 at 7:39 AM quote reply

Unfortunately the back button on the Arc mouse is about a half inch out of place. Hopefully V2 will fix that.
maxzuck Spaceman Spiff!

Apr 16, 2009 at 11:32 AM quote reply

Maybe your thumb is out of place
intelman

Apr 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM quote reply

I hear Microsoft has in house chip design. Hire me as an Intern, I'm a ChemE. Lets design some anti sweat mouse coating or anti finger print Zune HD coatings....
Dook

Dec 21, 2009 at 2:36 PM quote reply

thanks 4 you

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