Divine Design

Microsoft is one of the most successful companies in history, but it has had some major design flops. That can't happen to us when we're "designed by the Spirit."

Microsoft is one of the most successful companies in history, creating three billionaires and 12,000 millionaires among its employees. But the company has had some major design flops. Fast Company magazine (October 2012) lists a few:

Bob. Remember Bob? Released in 1995 Bob, was a software product designed to make it easier to use the computer. Bob featured a cartoon character named Rover the Dog who would exclaim, "Looky! Camper” and try to explain everything.

Bob was "childish, convoluted, ridiculous, [and] despised,” according to Fast Company. Even Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer said Bob was an example of a situation where Microsoft "decided that we have not succeeded and let's stop.”

Please.

Office Assistant. This program came out just two years later, in 1997. It featured an animated character named Clippy who would tap at the screen and try to guess what you were working on. Clippy always smiled and cheerfully offered to help, even if you were working on a...