Unifying a large corporate Web site: a case study of www.microsoft.com

Microsoft's World Wide Web site contains over 300,000 pages that are contributed by over 300 different groups. The target audience for the site is varied and ranges from children to information technology professionals. Unifying the look and feel of this large, diverse site is a daunting challenge, especially in the face of a decentralized corporate culture. Usability testing was used to identify which Web page elements might best unify the site while still allowing Microsoft groups maximum flexibility in Web page designs. Political challenges persist and inhibit the adoption of standard design elements.