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A new wave, a new look: First look at the Windows Live Wave 4 header

Jan 4, 2010 1:20 pm by damaster | 25 comments

We just told you yesterday that new themes are surfacing for Windows Live Wave 4 web services. Today we’ll be showing you screenshots of the new “Wave 4” header that you’ll be seeing in the upcoming Windows Live web services. Here’s a screenshot of what the default theme looks like, compared to that of the current one (top – Wave 4; bottom – Wave 3):

Notice that the new look retains the same simplistic design and look, perhaps they have further simplified the navigation items such that the categories makes even more sense. It seems like Microsoft is particularly placing emphasis on the four pillars of Windows Live – Hotmail (e-mail, calendar, contacts), Messenger (social network), Photos (photos & videos), as well as Docs (online storage, collaboration, synchronisation). By hovering your mouse over each of the header links (including the “Windows Live” text as well as your own name), a drop-down menu will appear directing you to each of the Windows Live services. Here’s what each of the “Home” (the Windows Live text), “Hotmail”, “Messenger” and “Photos” menus show:

Wave 4 Home menu Wave 4 Hotmail menu

Wave 4 Messenger menu Wave 4 Photos menu

Perhaps what’s more interesting is the two remaining menus. We’ve reported earlier that two new services – Documents and Devices – will be making a debut in Wave 4. Seems like one of them is getting a rename and will debut as “Windows Live Docs” instead. Here’s a glimpse of what’s under the “Docs” menu:

Wave 4 Docs menu

Based on the clues given, it appears that Windows Live Docs is also built on top of Windows Live SkyDrive. While we haven’t seen it actually in use yet, we’re speculating (hoping) it might incorporate some of the document management features of Office Live, in addition to what we have in Office Web Apps and SkyDrive. The other new service, Windows Live Devices, will appear under the “Profile” menu (the menu that appears when you hover over your display name):

Wave 4 Profile menu

One more thing that’s not shown here in any of these screenshots is that it appears that the Wave 4 web services will incorporate Web Messenger along with it. This means that Web Messenger will no longer be solely accessible via Hotmail (and People), but whenever you visit any Windows Live Wave 4 properties, you’ll be able to access Web Messenger. A very neat addition!

As always, do bear in mind that these are pre-release screenshots, and do expect things to change. But from what we’ve seen, the fun is really only just getting started!

This entry was posted in News and tagged Devices, Docs, Office, UI, Wave 4, Web Messenger, Windows Live. Bookmark the permalink.

http://gregsedwards.wordpress.com Greg Edwards
Ok, so this is what we’ve been waiting for! Thanks for sharing it. My initial thoughts are that some Live-lovers are really going to like the simplicity, but there will be equally as many who will be put off by the reorganization of their favorite services. I know a lot of folks who still think Spaces is the raison d’être of Live, and they desperately want to see it featured in the main header; they’re not going to like seeing it continually relegated to a submenu. Why exactly did Profile, Spaces, and Groups all get shoved under Messenger? Because they’re all “social” components? Also interesting that Profile basically gets 2 links in the header. Why would you need the one in the drop-down if there’s a persistent link under your name? However, I’m digging the overall design with the contextual, task-based links. Gives Live some much needed direction. Keep the news a-comin’, LiveSide.
http://www.ckurt.net/ CKurt
Great News!
A menu under the “Windows Live” Logo is a BAD idea! Nobody will know it’s there, just like nobody knew there was a menu in the PEARL in Wave 2
http://www.alimaggs.com/ Ali
Not overly impressed… Wave 3 began to shape Windows Live up as being a serious Social Network, whereas wave 4 seems to be pulling WL back to the old MSN-outlook of Hotmail and Messenger. It looks like Wave 4 is reducing the features and pulling Windows Live back to the “Mail with social features” (which is where Yahoo seems to be heading with their latest mail update).
- Anonymous
  “Wave 3 began to shape Windows Live up as being a serious Social Network”
  Do you think? In my opinion wave 3 was a step in the the opposite direction to what we all think of when people say the words “social network” (i.e. Facebook-alike kind of thing).
  It seems to me that Microsoft realised in wave 3 that they have already lost the social network war and that Facebook (not Spaces) was the heir apparent to MySpace’s crown – hence they adopted a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach by throwing their weight into web activities.
  That’s my take on it anyway.
http://www.alimaggs.com/ Ali
Oh, and agree with Gregsedwards – why is Spaces, Groups and Profile under the Messenger banner? That just seems insane. Messenger is a service, just like all the sub-categories. Surely “social” or “services” would make a better header than “Messenger”? Wave 4 actually looks less organised than Wave 3.
Worse still, those drop downs don’t even look like drop downs.
Anyway, here’s hoping that this isn’t a final banner.
- Anonymous
  Hmmm… don’t you think that “services” and “social” are simply too generic & non-descript? Messenger and Hotmail are what people know about – might as well put them front-and-centre along with Docs/Office Web Apps (which will be huge I’m sure).
  - http://gregsedwards.wordpress.com Greg Edwards
    Jamie, I agree that Messenger is a well-known product, but it just doesn’t make sense that Spaces and Groups would be subordinate to it. I can sorta see Groups being housed there because of the Messenger-enabled chat features for smaller groups. I’ll be interested to see what they do with those pull-down menus.
    However, I’m not going to be too quick to judge, because I think they’re really onto something with this simplification of Windows Live. I can feel the wave 4 excitement starting to swell around the community!
    - Anonymous
      Well actually, it makes sense to me yeah. Their motivation is to push their services so might well put the ones that are well-known front-and-centre. Maybe there’ll be some changes to the products/services in wave 4 that make it evident why they now appear subordinate to Messenger. Certainly all the vibes that I’m getting is that Messenger is going to be pushed front-and-centre.
      Like you I think the simplification is a good thing and actually, if you look at it, I’d say Skydrive is becoming the central service that they all kinda revolve around y’know.
http://www.guillaumeb.com/ GuillaumeB
hum… ugly ?
Anonymous
I like it. Adhering to 4 pillars is a major step forward in my book. Perhaps some might say the “Messenger” menu would be better entitled “Social” but I don’t think so. Messenger is a brand that people understand so they are right to centre around it.
- Damaster – LiveSide.net
  @jamiethomson: That’s true also. But another reason the menu title is called “Messenger” is for an obvious reason – read the bold text in the article and you’ll understand =) Notice that the “Messenger” drop-down menu is unnecessarily wide in comparison to the other ones…
  Unfortunately I can’t get a screenshot of it.
  - Anonymous
    Good point :)
http://fidalgoweather.spaces.live.com/ Dave
Wave schmave. Sorry to sound like a Grinch, but I would just like to see the stuff we already have work as it should. Shared favorites in Spaces suddenly stopped sharing. Account configuration in Writer went T.U. some time ago; and no, I do not want to save that blank page. If I do something radical in Mail, like click on a message, it will lock up. Regarding Messenger, I don’t use it and I don’t want it. Somehow it got installed on my machine anyway and now, I can’t get rid of it. Finally, how about giving us a menu item “Support,” since it seems to be needed so often. This could eliminate negotiating the maze required to find your way there. Again, sorry.
- Damaster – LiveSide.net
  @Dave: Regarding the “Support” menu item, the “Help” menu/button seems to be on every Windows Live page/product. It is located towards the top-right corner most products/services. Hope that helps =)
Anonymous
I notice all mention of a user’s “network” seems to have disappeared. I’m not surprised – this seemed to confuse lots of people.
Anonymous
One last point… I was half-hoping to see an “Apps” header in there as well that would be the Windows Live incarnation of Mesh apps that were introduced briefly in 2008/9. Seems its not to be. Shame!
lordcanti86
I’d like to see if there are any new themes for Wave 4
- Damaster – LiveSide.net
  @lordcanti86: Yes there will be. Refer to this post: http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2010/01/04/recapping-the-rumors-what-we-know-about-wave-4.aspx for tips about new themes surfacing for Windows Live Wave 4.
- asf
  zhongnanshan
Anonymous
So. Despite all the requests to make Spaces more visible in the header tabs, and/or allow users to choose exactly which header tabs they see in their headers, its looking as if those users have largely been ignored again! I am just keeping my fingers crossed that this is an early screen shot and that things have changed since then. Either that, or that we can all decide which tabs to have available on the header.
For one, I am very dissappointed with this shot. I don’t use Hotmail on the Windows Live site, nor messenger, preferring to use the desktop versions instead. So most of those tabs will be of no use to me personally.
- Jo
  I second that. Looks rubbish. Should’ve have words, should have icons, ala’ mobileme. The online UI is much cleaner and better than wave 2, but still needs a lot of improvement. Choice of subsets of the central product is paramount – wether the user wants hotmail, messenger, office web apps, spaces, etc. Windows Live needs a once off set-up screen – do you want this, this, this and this? Save Server realestate
jackfeed
Microsoft is still not getting it. This kind of header is a complete waste of space. When you’re on a netbook, your screen estate is already very little. Add a header like that and your usable area is even smaller.
If they have to go with a silly header like that, make it appear only when you hover the pointer near the top of the browser area.
Not impressed.
http://cid-280a1538334a1cb9.profile.live.com/ Seika
Not that little. It’s not like every page got header as big as Home and Profile (which includes bigger profile picture, weather forecast, calendar and messages report).The current header looks only a bit taller than the brand logo + “Sign out” link text.Why obsess on having it as small as the plain font as in Bing or Google ?PS: Replying to Jackfeed
- jackfeed
  Not obsessed, just being practical. When you work with small real estate (such as on a netbook or smartphone), you just don’t create a design like that. It’s all fine and dandy if you have a huge 27″ display, but not everyone has that luxury. It’s the same with the ads on the right-hand side in hotmail. Again, on a small screen, the usable area for your email is tiny, with a huge ad bar taking up 25% of the space.
  The better strategy would be to put the users first when doing the user interface design.
  - http://cid-280a1538334a1cb9.profile.live.com/ Seika
    Since we starts from the header, set the ads aside. There’ll always be many who prefer that going out of the way no matter how much screen space they have :D
    The current header is only around 55px high in Mail (<10% in 1024 x 600). Wave 4 seems to be a little smaller. Frankly, the ads is taking more working space than the header.