Why does UI of Microsoft's website so unattractive?Do they lack of designers?

"Microsoft Website" is a term kind of like "Europe." It covers a lot of culturally diverse ground.

In general, Microsoft's approach to the web has always been, get stuff out there and accessible. Unlike Apple or Google, there isn't top down control over all their web presence.

I have theorized that this aspect of Microsoft culture comes in part from having had so many millionaire employees at the dawn of the commercial web.

What I find curious is that hacks created by Microsoft's MVP approach to web properties finds so little resonance with HN'ers.

Corporate sites are almost always garbage because there are so many department claiming that their content is the most important. Especially so for MS where they have lots of needs to meet: e.g. downloads, upsells, product information, enterprise support, news, etc. I think usually the design department starts with a beautiful layout and the various departments hack it to shit.

It is pretty amazing that there are 5+ navigation schemes on one page.

You know, that's a question I think about quite frequently. Companies like MS and Google have all the money in the world, and yet it seems they are not able to hire teams of designers that can really nail a usable interface. I play with my Android phone and at times wonder who came up with the interaction flows, OS patterns and conventions. It really boggles my mind. I am inclined to say that they feel the market doesn't demand of them good design.

What's interesting is how different their Mac product division's site is:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/outlook

If only that group could share more of its expertise with the rest of the company. :)

I doubt it's a lack of designers. More likely a disability within the organization to make timely changes. I'm sure there are several levels of bureaucracy to wade through to get anything done and lots of 'design by committee' going on.

I guess the real question is whether or not it really needs to be more attractive?

What is so unattractive about it? I actually like it.

Yes, I think they lack designers in many places. Not everywhere of course, see Windows Phone for example.