It's taken as read now that design is an important part of a product's development process, but that wasn't always the case at Microsoft:
...Shum's efforts to make Windows Phone more compelling for consumers is central to seizing market share. And the notion that design is part of the development of a product from the very beginning is something that Microsoft is still getting used to. "The way we approach design has really shifted in the last few years," Shum said.
The history of the current mobile interface is, in part, Shum's history at Microsoft, and the article takes some time to look at previous projects, and how they have influenced the current thinking.
Shum and his team put some of the work they did on the Zune interface to the new task. The group created a look for the new Windows Phone efforts, dubbed Metro, that featured tiles with content that could be updated dynamically. It was a dramatically different look and feel from the icons familiar to customers who used the old Windows Mobile devices, as well as those who opted for iPhones and Android smartphones.
Albert Shum (Tedor Bjerrang, cc Flickr)
While there's nothing new here for those who have been following the Windows Phone story over the years, it's a good way to acknowledge the individuals that are behind the story of Microsoft's mobile platform.
You can read the full profile over on Cnet.