Microsoft has hired former Adobe executive Michael Gough as its corporate vice president of design for its Applications and Services Group. The move aims to boost the Redmond company’s design leadership at a time when Microsoft is facing increased competition from Apple, Google and many others.
He’ll be charged with leading the company’s design direction across a number of its key products, such as Office 365.
Gough spearheaded some interesting design initiatives at Adobe, including the company’s stylus project, which partnered the creative services company with stylus maker Adonit. The result was a specialized stylus and digital ruler for creative types to use with the iPad.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Microsoft and the effort to bring more productive and rewarding digital experiences to the world,” Gough said in a news release.
Taking a fresh look at the design of Microsoft’s products makes a lot of sense. Apple and Google are using their design chops as a way to draw people to their platforms. What’s more, Microsoft is increasingly playing in the creative space. Its Surface line of tablets have found a dedicated fan base among artists, and the company’s new HoloLens augmented reality headgear will require support from a wide variety of creative professionals in order to succeed.
