If you think the Live Search Cashback was a silly program to promote its search engine, Microsoft might be doing unusual again with the redesign of the Live Search portal. Guess what the redesign is all about?- Background images, which according to the Live Search Team was made to “to find the best way to enhance users’ sense of discovery, surprise, and delight while balancing engineering realities for a great user experience.”
As if those background images were not enough to desecrate their search portal, Microsoft has even made the images interactive of sorts by peppering it with hotspots which when clicked will display bits and pieces of information about the image as well as link to related search results. In addition, the images changes randomly, so as not bore users with the same background image.
Microsoft however assures its users that the images will not in any way interfere with their search activities. The hotspots would gleam when the first time the Live Search page loads and slowly disappears into the night as the user do a search. To make it appear again, users just have to mouse over on the hotspots. Now, that’s very reassuring and, should I say innovative (not!)
Try it out and see for yourself whether it is cuil, I mean cool or uncool. I’m getting the image below and try hovering your mouse on to the head of the man – it’s a hotspot for info on Okavango Delta in Botswana. What a nice place to put that Hotspot, really.
