Crafting innovative advertisement experiences for the Microsoft product suite.
At Microsoft, I work with a talented team of designers with the shared goal of creating advertisement design that pushes boundaries and provides valuable experiences to users.
Windows App Install Ads
Overview
According to the official Windows blog, Microsoft had over 35 million Apps on Windows 10 in 2018, most of them not on the Microsoft Store. In Comparison, Google is estimated to have about 2.5 million Apps and Apple is estimated to have about 3.8 million apps. Apple’s revenue from App Ads is estimated to be >$4B in 2022 and expected to go higher.
As shown from this data, the Microsoft ecosystem of Apps presented a significant market opportunity for App Ads whose monetization could be tapped by the current work on Microsoft Store and Xbox Search Ads. The goal of this project was to provide any App an opportunity to advertise on various surfaces mainly the Windows OS.
Role
Visual Design, Research
Designed over 200 unique background images to highlight individual apps for the 20+ categories on the Windows App Store.
Assisted in conducting research gauging users‘ perceptions of the cards when viewed in context on Windows.
Results
As part of a strategic initiative aimed at bolstering monetization revenue by $30 million in the fiscal year 2023, the implementation of these ads played a pivotal role in driving significant progress towards this ambitious target. Building upon this initial success, efforts have been underway to further leverage the effectiveness of these ads by expanding their presence across additional surfaces and platforms.
One notable expansion includes the integration of ads into the new tab page (NTP) within the Edge browser, capitalizing on prime real estate to deliver targeted and engaging content to users. This strategic placement not only enhances user engagement but also provides advertisers with a valuable opportunity to connect with their target audiences in a contextually relevant manner. Moreover, the inclusion of ads as search engine results in Bing further extends the reach and impact of advertising efforts, tapping into the vast user base of one of the world‘s leading search engines.
Microsoft Cashback in Windows
Overview
Microsoft Shopping provides users with cash back offers based on recent shopping and browsing history. Providers are able to use the program to increase sales incentives for specific products or site wide promotions.
Because these offers are monetizable, it was proposed to use Windows as an environment to display these offers in the form of a widget experience that maximizes value perception and minimizes ad perception to users.
Role
UI/UX Design, Motion Graphics Design, Research
Explore and test many rounds of designs, gauging users‘ perceptions of the cashback cards as advertisements and the value of the cards.
Collaborate with the development team to run tests using functional versions of the cashback cards.
Create animated marketing materials demonstrating the user flows and interactions of the cashback cards.
Research
In conjunction with leading design work, I am also responsible for conducting user studies focused on gauging users‘ relative perceptions of how “Ad-like” and how valuable the Cashback cards are in the context of Windows. The results of over 80 individual studies sampling hundreds of participants have led to countless iterations and variations in the design of the card. Over time, these adjustments have led to an 8% average decrease in how “ad-like” the card feels, as well as a 10% average increase in how valuable the experience is perceived.
Results
This project is in active development, with ongoing work focused on refining and perfecting the designs to ensure optimal performance and user satisfaction. As part of the development process, the designs are currently undergoing rigorous testing at a small scale, with approximately 10% of Windows 10 users participating in various markets worldwide. Despite the limited rollout, initial results are promising, with the program generating a daily revenue stream exceeding $7,000.
Looking ahead, plans are in place to gradually expand the user pool to encompass 100% of Windows 10 users and extend the program’s reach to include Windows11. This strategic expansion is anticipated to significantly bolster the program’s revenue potential, with projections indicating an estimated ARR of $30 million, equivalent to an average daily revenue of $80,000. These estimations, based on data as of January 2024, underscore the immense growth prospects and financial viability of the Cashback program within the Windows ecosystem.
Microsoft Watch Algorithmic Video Ads
Overview
Native Ads make up a large portion of Microsoft Ads Network (MSAN) ad placements. These ads can be found on Bing, MSN, and across Microsoft Start. The Microsoft Watch team requested a new Native Ad placement on the Watch feed with the main challenge being to convert the static ad elements given by the ad provider to dynamically rendered pre-roll animations for videos in the Watch feed.
Role
UI/UX Design, Motion Graphics Design
Explored different animation transitions and treatments to make a fixed set of static elements appear dynamic.
Created a set of video templates to accommodate different transitions, image counts, and image aspect ratios
Results
Following a successful rollout, the video ads swiftly ascended to become the predominant ad placement within the Watch feed, commanding an impressive 47.07% of the total sold impressions and contributing significantly to revenue, accounting for 18.9% of the total. The impact of these ads is further underscored by the estimated ARR projection of $5 million, highlighting their pivotal role in driving substantial financial gains for the platform.
Building upon this success, efforts are underway to further enhance the offerings by expanding the range of available templates across a broader spectrum of surfaces within MSAN (Microsoft Audience Network). This expansion aims to provide advertisers with a more diverse array of options to engage with their target audiences effectively. By continually innovating and refining our advertising solutions, we are poised to capitalize on emerging opportunities and cement our position as leaders in the digital advertising landscape.
Microsoft Start Mobile App Ads
Overview
As the successor of MSN, Microsoft Start is a news aggregator website and mobile app that features news headlines and articles that MSN editors have chosen. The app includes sections for top stories, regional events, international events, politics, money, technology, entertainment, opinion, sports, and crime, along with other miscellaneous stories.
The app is deeply integrated with the Microsoft product ecosystem and therefore receives a large amount of traffic from loyal Microsoft users. This offers many surfaces for monetization that parallel the Start web experience.
Role
UI/UX Design
Collaborated with the Start App design team to create 2 new, highly-visible ad placements.
Results
The designs have consistently proven to be successful across various markets. With a focus on the larger gallery design, projections indicate an estimated ARR of $1.2 million, showcasing the substantial impact and potential profitability these designs bring. This achievement underscores not only the ingenuity of the designs themselves but also their resonance with Start‘s diverse customer base, positioning the application for continued growth and prosperity in the marketplace.
Clarity AI Feature Reveal at Pubcon 2023
Overview
The Microsoft Clarity team unveiled a set of new AI powered features for their flagship user behavior and website debugging analytics tool at Pubcon 2023. As part of the keynote announcement, the team requested an animated demo to showcase the new features.
Role
Motion Graphics Design, Video Editing
Animated and edited video demo from start to finish.
Worked directly with Clarity keynote speakers to conceptualize and storyboard.
Shopping Browser Extension Rewards
Overview
The Microsoft Shopping browser extension grants users access to exclusive promotions and offers. On certain browsers, users were prompted to disable the extension. In order to incentivize users to keep the extension installed and maintain use, a new flow was created to offer a reward after a set amount of time using the extension.
Role
Motion Graphics Design
Created a small-scale animation to introduce visual interest and increase joy in the rewards flow experience.
Watch Video Ads Marketing Collateral
Overview
The product marketing team requested animated demos of video ad placements in Microsoft Watch and MSN article pages. Because these demos could be shared externally, all content on the pages, as well as the ad assets themselves were required to be unbranded.
Role
Motion Graphics Design
Built fully functional, unbranded page comps for Microsoft Watch and MSN articles.
Created unbranded video ad asset for reuse in current and future contexts where video ad assets are needed.