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Every so often, Microsoft design director Diego Baca boots up an old computer so he can play around with Windows 95 again. Baca has made a hobby of assembling old PCs with new-in-box vintage parts, and so his office has become a kind of shrine to Windows history. Still, Windows 95 stands out, he says, because of how easy it made computing for everyone. Many of its foundational concepts, such as the Start menu and taskbar, are still core parts of Windows today. This story is part of 1995 Week, where well revisit some of the most interesting, unexpected, and confounding developments in tech 30 years ago. “Windows 95 introduced a lot of these really clear, really durable metaphors of how computing could be simpler for customers,” Baca says. He’s not alone in finding ways to appreciate Windows 95 again. Almost 30 years after the operating systems release on August 24, 1995, you can run a fully functional version as an app on your computer (even if it’s a Mac), make Windows 11 look like Windows 95 with third-party software, or follow countless TikTok tutorials on giving your iPhone a Windows 95 aesthetic. Diego Baca [Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft] There are YouTube playlists with nothing but remixes of the Windows 95 startup soundfamously composed by Brian Enoand there’s an entire musical subgenre that uses Windows 95 aesthetics as a visual component. Some of this is just cheap retro nostalgia. But the people who worked on Windows 95and those who still appreciate itoffer another explanation: It really was designed to be simpler, and it succeeded just as people were buying PCs for the first time. When we look back now, it’s a reminder of how computers primarily served their users, not the other way around. Taking design seriously Windows 95 succeeded in part because it was the first Microsoft operating system that actually put designers in charge of the design. Under pressure to compete with the user interface of Apple’s Macs, Microsoft assembled a design team and made usability testing a big part of the development process. Virginia Howlett [Photo: Courtesy of Virginia Howlett] “It was the first time at Microsoft that the design of the product wasn’t completely driven by the engineers,” says Virginia Howlett, who led the Windows 95 design team. “It was a real team effort between research and design and engineering.” A painter by training, Howlett had joined Microsoft as a print designer and consultant on computer-based training software. But she wanted to get involved with Windows after seeing version 1.0, which launched in 1985 as an add-on for MS-DOS and didn’t prove to be a hit. The smattering of colors in odd placesfor instance, bright red scroll bars that drew attention away from the actual contentleft her aghast. “Windows 1.0 was this massive missed opportunity,” she says. “It just sort of hurt me so badly how poorly it was designed.” Microsoft designer Diego Baca’s Windows installations. [Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft] In 1990, Microsoft shipped Windows 3.0, the first version to catch on in a big way. Howlett and her team contributed to it and 1992s Windows 3.1, but in a limited role that basically involved designing icons and color schemes. In Windows 95, by contrast, the designers were directly involved with figuring out the best way to do things and how to present them to users. “In Windows 3.1, we were helping with how it looked. In Windows 95, we were helping with how it worked, as well as how it looked,” Howlett says. Meanwhile, improvements in PC hardware allowed Windows 95 to pull off some new tricks. It was designed with 800-by-600-pixel resolution screens in mindup from the earlier video graphics array (VGA) standard of 640 by 480and by default it supported a color palette of 256 colors, up from 16 in Windows 3.1. Those advancements helped Windows 95’s designers give the system a more three-dimensional look. “We used shadows and edges to note all the boundaries,” says Chris Guzak, a Microsoft engineer who worked on integrating much of the design work into Windows 95. “When those show up in the interface today, you’re, like, ‘That’s old.’ But then, it was such a cool thing.” Chris Guzak [Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft] The limitations of mid-1990s computers had an impact as well. Windows 95’s default color schemeall royal blues, medium grays, and the occasional splash of tealstemmed from the restricted color palette available with graphics cards of the era, and the lack of animations relative to modern computers reinforced a sense of quickness and simplicity. “I think because of this minimalism, and really minimal animation, it was a lot quieter of an interface compared to what we have today,” says Suzan Marashi, who worked on the Windows 95 user interface team. Competing with Apple The motivation to make Windows 95 more approachable came in large part from Apple, which had licensed parts of its own graphical user interface to Microsoft for Windows 1.0, but sued over additional elements that Microsoft added in later versions. Apple eventually lost the case, but Guzak recalls “a heightened sense of competitiveness” from Microsoft’s leadership at the time. “There really was a sense that we needed something that people could use, that would be accepted, that people could figure out,” he says. Many people were still in the process of learning to use a computer: Even in October 1995, a Times Mirror Center study reported that only 36% of U.S. households owned personal computers. Suzan Marashi [Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft] This was also a time when Microsoft was approaching its peak as a consumer-centric company. It spent $300 million on marketing for Windows 95, encouraged retailers to hold launch parties, and had Jay Leno host its own enormous and well-publicized launch event on its Redmond, Washington, campus. Friends actors Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry even starred in a video guide to showcase the operating system’s new features. Consumers lined up at computer stores at midnight to get their hands on the new operating system, presaging the later day-one frenzies over early iPhones. Paul Thurrott, an author and a longtime technology reporter who covered Microsoft, says all these factors came together at just the right time. Apple’s own software had started to stagnatethe Mac interface was still largely black and white at the timeand even Mac enthusiasts begrudgingly acknowledged that Microsoft’s designs were catching up. “I think that was the version where they actually had something that made more sense than the Mac did from a UI perspective,” Thurrott says. Reliving the old days Re-experiencing Windows 95 today is easy. Just download the Windows 95 Electron app on any Windows, Mac, or Linux machine, and you can use a version of the classic operating system that runs entirely inside its own app window. Felix Rieseberg, a software developer who currently works on the Claude AI desktop apps for Anthropic, first released the Windows 95 app in 2018, mostly to demonstrate what’s possible with web technologies. But over the years, he’s updated it with new features, including a way to transfer files to and from your actual computer and a version of Internet Explorer that loads old versions of websites from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. The Windows 95 Electron app lets you easily run the 30-year-old operating system on a modern computer. [Image: Jared Newman] While Rieseberg says the app was originally supposed to prove a point about the power of JavaScript, it also winds up saying something about how modern software has devolved. The Windows 95 app’s Start button pops up instantly when you click on it instead of requiring a split second to appear, and the preloaded version of Excel loads faster than the one that runs on Windows 11. “It’s remarkable how much you can do inside the JavaScript of [the Windows 95 app] in a way that feels very quick,” he says. “Especially with Word and Excel, it’s very powerful in there, and it covers so much of what people want to do in their life.” Rieseberg has no way of tracking how many people use the Windows 95 Electron app, but notes that it has more than 22,000 stars on GitHub. That puts it in the top 1,000 GitHub projects of all time. Elements such as the Start button remain with us, but Windows design has radically changed over the past three decades. [Image: Courtesy of Microsoft] “I get a lot of emails from people saying thank you, which is, of course, funny because I’m full-time working on software, on big apps with millions of users,” he says. “And this little weekend side project has gotten more thank-you notes than anything else I’ve ever done.” The software maker Stardock has noticed a similar response with its WindowBlinds and Start11 programs, which allow people to customize modern Windows menus and windowing systems. Both offer a “Classic” theme, which in tandem can approximate the feel of using Windows 95 on a modern PC. Stardocks “Classic” theme for Start11 and WindowBlind let you give current Windows a Windows 95-like skin. [Image: Courtesy of Stardock] Brad Sams, Stardock’s vice president and general manager, says that the announcement of its classic theme is a top driver of traffic to WindowBlinds’s product page and of subsequent sales. “The market has responded exactly how we would expect for that kind of nostalgia,” Sams says. “The simplicity of Windows 95, the basic color scheme, the very direct navigation modeling . . . people just enjoy a simpler experience, and I think that’s what’s driving some of this, right?” The next 30 years Three decades later, Microsoft has reasons to be thinking about Windows 95 again. For one thing, Windows 11 was an attempt by Microsoft to bring some simplicity back. The company stripped down the Start menu with a new designalbeit one that longtime users bristled atand it continues to move more menu items out of its old control panel and into a more modern Settings menu. “Windows 11 is in many ways as close as we’ve gotten to 95 from a simplicity perspective,” Thurrott says. Windows 95s Start menus got major makeovers in Windows 10 and Windows 11. [Image: Courtesy of Microsoft] But now, Microsoft also believes it’s building some new foundations for Windows around AI, not unlike how Windows 95’s designers established the patterns that we still use today. Marcus Ash, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of design and research for Windows and Devices, describes it as an effort that spans the entire company. “We look at AI as Microsoft’s opportunity to talk to our customers, learn from them, and build a Microsoft-like model for how this is shaping upand Windows is the delivery vehicle,” Ash says. Marcus Ash [Photo: Courtesy of Microsoft] It’s a lofty goal, but in some way it underscores why people appreciate Windows 95. The modern Windows experienceand the experience of all major computing platformsis one in which you’re constantly on guard against the company that made it. If you’re not careful, Microsoft might replace your default browser and search engine with its own. If you don’t opt out of AI features in Office, you might wind up paying extra, whether you use them or not. Even just playing solitaireone of the original, simple joys of classic Windows versionsnow means getting constantly bombarded with ads. While the idea of Microsoft inventing a new foundation for computing was once exciting, now it’s also a bit unnerving. Windows 95’s design reminds us that computers, even when they were less sophisticated, were at least unquestionably on your side. Those who design software now are likely familiar with the term “dark pattern,” which refers to all the ways that software can get you to act against your best interests. Howlett, the Windows 95 designer who’s since gone back to her roots in painting, says she’d never even heard of it. “It was a kinder, gentler timebefore we were trying to manipulate people,” she says.
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E-Commerce
Building super-fandom isn’t an art, it’s a science with a proven formula that brands can learn and replicate. The most successful fandoms, like Taylor Swift’s Swifties, follow predictable patterns centered around building strong emotional architecture around a shared idea to generate a sense of belonging. Mastering this formula is integral for brands seeking lasting loyalty as it’s the only reliable path to transforming casual consumers into passionate advocates who drive real business impact. The fandom formula Fandoms operate on four fundamental principles: 1. Emotional resonance comes first. Swifties don’t just like Taylor Swift’s music because it sounds good; they see their own stories reflected in her lyrics. Every album becomes a shared emotional journey, not just a collection of songs. Because they see themselves and their values reflected in this artist, they are invested in her success, ensuring each album release goes No. 1 on the charts. 2. Shared rituals and language create insider status. It’s an unspoken code among Marvel fans that you stick around for the post-credit scenes of every single movie. Fandoms develop their own vocabularies, traditions, and ways of belonging that make outsiders want in. 3. A sense of belonging transforms individual consumers into collective identities. There are whole online and in-person communities dedicated to being a member of Beyoncé’s Beyhive. They travel to concerts together, buy music and merchandise together, and every other brand avenue released by Queen Bey. 4. Active participation and co-creation turns audiences into collaborators. Fandoms thrive because fans don’t just consume. They remix, theorize, create fan art, write fanfiction, and build upon the original work, offering another opportunity for direct fan-to-artist connection. The future is fandom-driven brands Most brands approach loyalty like a math problem. Spend $100, get 10 points. Visit five times, get a free coffee. Instead of a transactional approach to building brand loyalty, consider deploying the following: Build emotional anchors in the brand experience: Every brand interaction is an opportunity to create lasting emotional connections beyond the initial point of sale. Red Bull exemplifies this approach by translating the energy and thrill customers experience from their drink into a lifestyle ecosystem. Through immersive experiences like virtual reality alpine climbing and extreme sports activations, Red Bull offers energy and the feeling of limitless possibility for their community of thrill-seekers. Foster community, not an audience: The distinction between audiences and communities determines whether customers become advocates. Audiences consume, but communities create, connect, and discover together. Celebrities have become especially adept at leveraging fandom to create dedicated brand communities. Take Hailey Bieber’s recent success with cult beauty brand Rhode. From exclusive pop-up events and viral TikTok videos, Rhode created virtual and physical spaces where beauty enthusiasts could experiment and bond over their collective obsession. In turn, Rhode built a movement around beauty that turned skincare routines into shared experiences and enough cultural cache to drive a $1 billion valuation in just three years, leading to its acquisition by e.l.f. Beauty. Make fans a part of the experience: Fandoms cultivate active participants and collaborators. Netflix’s upcoming “Netflix Houses” represent this principle at scale, transforming viewers into main characters of their favorite Netflix series. One second theyre a contestant of Squid Game and the next theyre wandering through Stranger Things Hawkins to solve the latest mystery. Netflix repurposed dying mall space to create these immersive experiences, curating a new way for younger generations to experience malls and TV shows. A win for Netflix, the teens, and the malls. The most successful companies of the next decade won’t just have customers, they’ll have believers, which theyll build by making people feel something profound. Behind every transaction is a human being seeking connection, meaning, and belonging. In a world where fandoms power industries, the only thing standing between brands and that devotion is the courage to design experiences that honor this fundamental truth. Andy Zimmerman is CEO of Journey.
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E-Commerce
For the past year, Ive had the opportunity to apply my experience in sector diversified financial services, sustainability, and operational leadership at RE Tech Advisors. I oversee a suite of solutions and services allowing real estate portfolio managers/owners a pathway to integrate and communicate their sustainability efforts. What Ive seen in this sector aligns with many other sectors Ive worked with. ROI is the predominant motivation for actionshort-term ROI via operational cost efficiencies and revenue attraction, and long-term ROI setting up operational resilience in a changing environment. The ROI focus applies to both traditional initiative and sustainability initiative decisions. The line begins to blur when key sustainability initiatives are considered as key operational efforts, the same way as traditional ROI. This is how RE Tech Advisors helps real estate owners find key ROI initiatives with strategic action plans to manage risks and optimize performance. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) Whether you are creating an action plan to reduce your GHG footprint to comply with building performance standards policies, or youre developing a proactive decarbonization action plan to reduce a buildings carbon footprint, these can significantly reduce costs: Reduce energy consumption costs: Implementing high efficiency HVAC, better insulation, and smart system integrations such as smart lighting, can reduce energy cost estimates by 30% to 50% in new and existing buildings. Identify operational inefficiencies: Through real-time data analysis and continuous performance monitoring, building managers can adjust or replace systems to improve efficiency based on actual usage energy and water usage patterns. Reduce maintenance costs: Increase energy efficiency and conduct proactive maintenance to realize cost savings through reduced emergency repairs and extending building components lifespans. Avoid noncompliance fines: Fine amounts varies by jurisdiction, but penalties for policy noncompliance can be a significant expense, based on location and building size. Tax incentives and green financing: Decarbonization roadmaps can unlock millions in funding from programs such as NYSERDA and Fannie Mae and Freddie Macs Green Financing program. Physical risk management Physical risk management plans help mitigate potential physical building damage from sporadic weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis, plus increasing temperature severity and climate pattern changes. Action plans can include installing flood barriers, storm shutters, upgraded drainage systems, impact-resistant windows, reinforced roofs, and elevated foundations. These investments can lead to short-term cost savings, better resilience, and longer-term ROI. Recognized benefits include: Lower insurance premiums: Most insurance companies now integrate physical climate risk scenarios in stress test modelling to calculate premiums accounting for potential risk of future loss. This increasingly influences insurance premiums. Lower costs from severe weather damage: According to Climate.gov, from 2020-2024, the cost of climate-related damage in the U.S. was $746.7 billion; the annual average exceeded $149 billion. This financial impact is more than double the annual average of $64.8 billion from 1980 to 2024. Build to higher standards: A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce showed that for every $1 invested in disaster preparation, communities save $13 in economic costs, damages, and cleanup. One example showed, $83 million of investments in resilience and preparedness for a serious tornado hitting Nashville would save more than 5,300 jobs. The amount of production and income saved would be more than $683 million and $464 million, respectively. An S&P Global Sustainable1 report found that companies could face physical climate costs of up to 28% of the asset value annually without mitigation efforts. Supply chain risk mitigation: Building more resilient supply chain operations and avoiding disruptions from physical building damage and labor interruptions can lead to longer-term ROI. These risks pertain to both U.S. and off-shored supply chain facilities. Transition risk management Climate change and its associated risks continue leading to longer term economic changes. These bring transitionary risks that are important to consider to avoid higher resource and material costs. Through transition risk management, real estate owners can position themselves for: Less exposure to energy supply volatility pricing: Through decreased energy consumption or using alternative sources. Resource scarcity: Can lead to increasing costs and lack of availability of land, water, timber, and steel. Improved capital and lending rates: Rates may consider transition climate risks in risk analysis, or provide green financing with lower rates. Stranded assets: Avoid real estate assets that can be devalued by not appropriately mitigating transition risks. These stranded assets may not be aligned with building energy performance standards such as New Yorks Local Law 97. Noncompliant buildings could see value reductions of 1020% due to penalties and retrofit costs. Furthermore, a First Street study suggests that a $1.4 trillion devaluation will occur across real estate assets over 30 years if they fail to meet decarbonization pathways. Communication is key In creating strategies for cost efficiencies and resilience, the owners ultimate desire is to create a portfolio of attractive assets that are optimal operationally to gain short-term and long-term ROI. It is vitally important to communicate how the company is pursuing these cost saving and resilience initiatives to appropriate stakeholders including investors, banks, employees, operators/tenants, and communities, to help each stakeholder understand the assets value. Key ways to drive this communication include: Green building certifications: These include LEED, BREEAM, and IREM certifications, which provide stakeholders with independent validation of key energy and carbon management initiatives. Investor reporting frameworks: GRESB and UNPRI provide investors a detailed look at initiatives being pursued, along with gaps, allowing them to benchmark and compare them to peers. Corporate social responsibility reports: These tell stakeholders, such as employees and tenants, about the sustainabilityefforts being addressed, offering better transparency. Last thoughts Many are pursing the ultimate goal of creating an environment that allows us and future generations to prosper and thrive. Looking at initiatives under the return on investment lens offers a sustainable pathway to meet people where theyre at, speak a language they can connect to, and invite them to join the journey leading to a more sustainable economy and world. I look forward to continuing the discourse on how sustainability initiatives can best help drive for cost efficiencies and resilience so that these initiatives move from being an overlay to being deeply integrated into operational excellence. Shila Wattamwar is founder of Radiant Global Advisory, and VP of RE Tech Advisors.
Category:
E-Commerce
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