Microsoft Create
Development + Launch
THE CHALLENGE
Small businesses needed agency-level design capabilities but lacked the budget and expertise to create professional marketing materials. Microsoft saw an opportunity to democratize design through a platform that would provide 18,000+ customizable digital assets — but first, we needed to solve a critical content problem.
The complexity:
Scale challenge: 18,000+ digital assets (flyers, brochures, social posts, videos) needed consistent, discoverable metadata.
Discoverability problem: Without proper taxonomy and information architecture, users wouldn't be able to find the right template for their needs.
Team coordination: Multiple UX writers working across time zones needed unified standards and guidance.
User diversity: From complete design beginners to experienced users, all needing different levels of guidance.
Speed requirement: Aggressive launch timeline required scalable processes, not one-off solutions.
The stakes:
Product launch success was dependent on content discoverability.
User trust was reliant on consistent, clear microcopy and guidance.
Team efficiency needed to scale content production across thousands of assets.
Microsoft's brand reputation for accessibility and user-friendliness on the line.
THE STRATEGY
Strategic approach:
1. Systems-First Thinking
Instead of writing asset-by-asset, I architected:
Taxonomy framework for categorizing and tagging 18,000+ assets.
Metadata standards ensuring consistent discoverability.
Terminology system creating unified language across product.
Microcopy patterns for buttons, tooltips, and guidance.
2. Information Architecture
The IA challenge: How do users navigate from "I need marketing materials" to "Here's the perfect brochure template"?
Solution hierarchy:
Top-level categories (Marketing, Social Media, Presentations, etc.).
Use case subcategories (Grand Opening, Sale Event, Product Launch).
Format types (Flyers, Brochures, Instagram Posts, etc.).
Industry/audience tags (Restaurant, Retail, Professional Services).
This multi-dimensional taxonomy allowed users to filter by intent, format, or industry.
THE PREPARATION
We needed to build content infrastructure before creating content — establishing taxonomy, terminology, and style standards that would scale across thousands of assets and multiple content creators.
The research + insights:
User research revealed:
Audience diversity required flexible guidance
Complete beginners needed reassuring, educational microcopy.
Experienced users needed efficient, out-of-the-way guidance.
Small business owners needed quick wins without steep learning curves.
Discoverability was the make-or-break factor
Users abandoned search when they couldn't find relevant templates within 30 seconds.
Inconsistent metadata made similar assets appear in unrelated searches.
Vague product descriptions left users uncertain if template met their needs.
Content consistency gaps emerged
Without centralized guidance, writers created conflicting terminology.
Inconsistent button copy confused users about actions and outcomes.
Microcopy tone varied widely across assets, breaking brand cohesion.
3. Team Enablement Through Standards
As lead of the digital asset UX team, I created:
Content style guide defining voice, tone, and writing principles.
Metadata templates ensuring consistency across all assets.
Microcopy pattern library for buttons, tooltips, and error states.
QA checklist for writers to self-review before submission.
4. Accessibility-First Approach
All content frameworks prioritized:
Screen reader compatibility.
Plain language principles.
Culturally-neutral examples.
Localization-friendly structure.
THE PROCESS
Phase 1: Establishing the Foundation
Months 1-2: Framework Development
Working closely with studio leadership, product designers, and engineering we:
Audited existing content approaches.
Defined taxonomy structure.
Created terminology glossary.
Developed metadata schema.
Key decisions:
Prioritized user intent over format in navigation.
Established 3-tier information hierarchy.
Created flexible tagging system allowing multi-dimensional discovery.
Deliverable: 50-page content system documentation including taxonomy, metadata standards, and style guidelines.
Phase 2: Team Leadership & Content Production
Months 3-8: Scaling Content Creation
As senior writer leading a team of four UX writers:
My responsibilities:
Established workflows for efficient content production at scale.
Mentored writers on applying taxonomy and style standards
Reviewed all content ensuring consistency and quality.
Solved edge cases when taxonomy or standards didn't fit.
Collaborated cross-functionally with design, engineering, and localization.
Team structure:
Each writer was designated a subject matter expert for specific asset categories.
Weekly sync to align on terminology and edge cases.
Peer review process before final approval.
Continuous style guide updates based on learnings.
Content production approach:
We created:
Modular content templates with variable fields
Reusable microcopy components for common UI elements
Metadata frameworks that writers could apply consistently
Pattern libraries reducing repetitive writing
Example framework application:
Metadata template for flyers:
Title: [Use Case] + [Format] (e.g., "Grand Opening Flyer")
Description: [Benefit] + [Use case] + [Customization note]
Tags: [Industry], [Event type], [Style], [Color scheme]
Category: Marketing Materials > Flyers > Events
This allowed for consistent discoverability and creative variation in descriptions.
Phase 3: User-Centered Microcopy
Designing for the complete beginner:
Beyond metadata, I designed the microcopy that would guide users through the creation process:
Button copy principles:
Action-oriented (not technical).
Outcome-focused (tells user what happens next).
Confidence-building (reassures beginners).
Examples:
✖️ Generic: "Submit" | "Apply"
✔ User-focused: "Start Customizing" | "Make It Yours"
✖️ Technical: "Generate Template" | "Initialize Project"
✔ Friendly: "Create My Design" | "Start Designing"
Tooltip strategy:
Anticipate questions before they arise.
Provide just-in-time learning.
Keep language encouraging, not condescending.
Phase 4: Cross-Functional Collaboration
Key partnerships:
With Product Design:
Ensured content fit within UI constraints.
Collaborated on information hierarchy in navigation.
Tested metadata visibility and scannability.
With Engineering:
Defined metadata fields and character limits.
Implemented taxonomy structure in CMS.
Built search and filter functionality around content system.
With Localization:
Created translation-friendly content structures.
Established terminology that worked across languages.
Tested metadata discoverability in key markets.
With Studio Leadership:
Aligned content vision with business objectives.
Reported on content production progress.
Advocated for additional resources when needed.
THE RESULT
Across multi-discipline teams and time zones, we created a comprehensive content system allowing for:
1. Scalable Taxonomy & Information Architecture
Multi-dimensional categorization allowing users to find assets by intent, format, industry, or style.
Consistent metadata schema applied across 18,000+ digital assets.
Flexible tagging system enabling personalized discovery paths.
2. Team Enablement Infrastructure
50-page content system documentation including style guide, taxonomy, and patterns.
Metadata templates ensuring consistency across writers.
Microcopy pattern library with 100+ reusable components.
QA processes maintaining quality at scale.
3. User-Centered Microcopy
Button copy that builds confidence and clarifies actions.
Tooltips providing just-in-time education.
Product descriptions balancing SEO and user understanding.
Error messaging that guides rather than frustrates.
4. Accessible, Localizable Content
Plain language principles throughout.
Screen-reader optimized metadata.
Translation-friendly content structure.
Culturally neutral examples and guidance.
The impact of this content strategy and resulted in:
Product Success
18,000+ digital assets launched with consistent, discoverable content
Successful product launch meeting aggressive timeline
Foundation established for ongoing content scale
User Experience Wins
✔ Improved discoverability through consistent, searchable metadata
✔ Reduced friction for beginner users through clear, encouraging microcopy
✔ Multi-surface consistency across web and mobile platforms
✔ Accessible experience for users with diverse needs and abilities
Team Efficiency Gains
✔ 5 writers produced 18,000+ assets through scalable frameworks
✔ Reduced review cycles through clear standards and self-QA
✔ Reusable patterns accelerated content creation by ~40%
✔ Cross-functional alignment reduced revisions and back-and-forth
Organizational Impact
✔ Content system documentation adopted by other Microsoft teams
✔ Demonstrated value of content design investment at scale
✔ Established best practices for future product launches
Microsoft Product Description
CMS Migration + Copy Refresh
THE CHALLENGE
Microsoft Store needed to modernize its brand voice and migrate to a new CMS—without losing its reputation as a reliable, informative source for technology and gaming products. The aggressive timeline required rapid stakeholder alignment and efficient execution.
The complexity:
Brand evolution tension: Be more youthful and narrative-driven while maintaining Microsoft's trusted authority.
Technical constraints: New CMS required reformatted content structure (character limits, field types, SEO optimization).
Stakeholder coordination: Multiple teams across Microsoft needed to align on new direction quickly.
Migration scale: Hundreds of product pages needed updating under tight deadline.
User continuity: Existing customers expected consistency; new customers wanted fresh, engaging content.
THE PROCESS
Brand Voice Evolution
From: Formal, feature-focused, technical tone
To: Friendly, benefit-driven, narrative style that complements visual storytelling
Guiding principles established:
Lead with customer benefits, not just features
Use conversational language while maintaining expertise
Let visuals do heavy lifting; copy should enhance, not compete
Make technical specifications scannable and secondary
Voice transformation example:
✖️ Before (technical, dry): "Xbox Series X features 12 teraflops of processing power, custom CPU at 3.8GHz, and 16GB GDDR6 memory. Specifications include 1TB custom SSD."
✔ After (benefit-focused, engaging): "Get lost in worlds that feel incredibly real. Xbox Series X delivers stunning 4K gaming at 120fps, with lightning-fast load times that keep you in the action. Your games have never looked—or felt—this good."
Content Structure Redesign
Worked with UX design and engineering to redesign product page structure:
New content hierarchy:
Hero copy (40 characters) - Punchy value proposition
Narrative description (200-300 words) - Benefit-driven storytelling
Key features (bullets) - Scannable, outcome-focused
Technical specifications (structured data) - For research-oriented users
Enhanced metadata - SEO optimization built into structure
Technical challenge: Reformatted existing content to fit new character limits and field types without losing information value.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder alignment process:
Presented voice direction options with examples
Gathered feedback from Store administrators, Brand team, and UX
Iterated on sample pages until consensus achieved
Created style guide for consistency across product categories
Engineering partnership:
Defined content field requirements and character limits
Ensured SEO metadata structure supported discoverability
Tested content rendering across devices (desktop, mobile, Xbox)
Efficient Execution Under Deadline
1-month sprint breakdown:
Week 1: Voice direction development and stakeholder alignment
Week 2: Content structure design and wireframe integration
Week 3: Bulk content writing and editing
Week 4: QA, refinements, and launch preparation
Efficiency tactics:
Created content templates by product category
Prioritized highest-traffic pages for custom writing
Developed SEO-optimized metadata formulas
Established review/approval workflow to avoid bottlenecks
THE RESULT
The outcome were modernized Microsoft Store product pages featuring:
✔ Updated brand voice that's friendly, youthful, and narrative-driven while maintaining Microsoft's trusted expertise.
✔ Redesigned content structure optimized for the new CMS, with improved visual hierarchy and SEO.
✔ Flexible, scalable framework supporting efficient updates for new product launches.
✔ Enhanced discoverability through improved metadata and search optimization.
✔ Multi-device optimization ensuring consistent experience across desktop, mobile, and Xbox.
The impact of this copy and site redesign could be instantly after launch resulting in:
User Experience
✔ More engaging product pages that tell compelling stories beyond specifications
✔ Improved scannability through clear information hierarchy
✔ Better mobile experience with optimized content structure
✔ Maintained trust while introducing friendlier, more accessible tone
Business Results
✔ Met aggressive 1-month deadline for CMS migration
✔ Stakeholder alignment achieved across multiple Microsoft teams
✔ SEO improvements through enhanced metadata structure
✔ Scalable content framework for ongoing product launches
Process Efficiency
✔ Reusable templates reduced future content creation time
✔ Clear style guidelines enabled other writers to maintain consistency
✔ Streamlined workflow minimized review cycles
