Case study

Mr Microsoft.

I reworked Mr Microsoft from a date-ordered blog into a magazine layout for IT admins. Readers can now pick a topic hub, choose between a quick tip or a full walkthrough, and see the author's MVP credential before they start reading.

Visit live site Start a project like this

IndustryAgencies & Tech

Timeline2026

Agencies & Tech Tech Publishing Web Design

Hover or swipe to scroll the full page

mrmicrosoft.com Desktop

Full-length desktop screenshot of the Mr Microsoft website

HOVER TO SCROLL

// how it was built

From brief to launch.

The archive already held hundreds of articles, so most of this build was about structure before styling.

01 discover

Reader intent

I looked at how admins arrive, usually with one specific problem, and whether they want a fast fix or a complete guide.
02 plan

Topic hubs

I mapped the archive into hubs for each Microsoft product area and separated short tips from in-depth posts.
03 design

Mostly monochrome

I kept the base palette almost monochrome so each hub colour, like blue for Azure or green for Intune, stands out.
04 build

Magazine components

I coded the tips column, topic cards, reading-time labels, monthly archives, dark mode switch and the author panel.
05 integrate

Two newsletter forms

I placed two signup points on the page so subscribers could join from wherever they finished reading.
06 ✓ shipped

Full from day one

The homepage opened with fresh articles and a stocked tips column, and signups started coming through both forms.

What I did

The build, step by step.

Depth over dates. I set a slim column of quick how-to tips beside the newest long-form articles, so readers self-select.
Colour-coded topic hubs. Azure, Intune, Copilot, Teams, Entra, PowerShell and Exchange Online cards each carry their own colour and link into a hub.
A dark mode toggle. I added a header switch for anyone reading late, keeping the base layout near black and white so both themes hold up.
Signals on every card. Every post card states how long it takes to read, and monthly archives run back through earlier years.
Credibility early. An author panel sets the MVP title beside a drawn portrait, and on phones the readership, article and years-of-experience figures appear before the opening headline.