Microsoft-owned Skype Redesign

The Microsoft has redesigned Skype several times and is doing so again. The software company has been enhancing Skype for years, and last year introduced a radical design that included a standout feature from Snapchat. Microsoft is now removing the Highlights feature and simplifying Skype one more time. "Calls have become more difficult to execute and the highlights have not impacted most users," explains Skype Design Director Peter Skillman. "We need to step back and simplify!"

Microsoft's new approach to Skype design includes refocusing why people still use the service: calls, video calls, and messages. Skype's mobile applications will be redesigned to remove features that no one else uses that simply confuse the user interface. On the desktop, Microsoft is moving chats, calls, contacts, and notifications to the upper-left corner of the window to provide a central location for navigation.

"We look at how people use Skype applications, conduct extensive testing in global markets and build prototypes to test new concepts," says Skillman. "We are listening to your feedback and are fully committed to improving the Skype experience based on what you are telling us." Radical reformulation of Skype last year did not go down well. Everyone seemed to hate the new Skype, and Microsoft spent most of last year tweaking Skype on the phone and on the desktop to keep up with their similar Snapchat changes.

Microsoft even revealed recently that its desktop application would be withdrawn in favor of a more mobile application, but the company had to change its mind after a negative reaction. Some Skype users still prefer the original desktop application that served the service well for years, and of course Microsoft will need to work with that feedback on any other changes they are planning.

Skype has improved a lot since Microsoft changed the peer to server-based service. This was a complicated period for the service as a whole, with broken notifications, low reliability and just a generally frustrating experience. Microsoft now needs to focus on simplifying Skype in a time when there is much greater competition. WhatsApp, Messenger, FaceTime, WeChat, Line and Telegram are extremely popular services that millions use to send messages and make calls. It will be difficult for Microsoft to regain consumer confidence when it has so many reliable alternatives.