The lead designer of Microsoft's Surface tablets gets the spotlight in new Microsoft video

On the eve of the Surface 3 launch in the US, Microsoft has posted a new video that puts the spotlight on Ralf Groene. As the Creative Director for Microsoft's Surface team, Groene is the main designer behind the company's tablets.

Groene speaks in general terms about how Microsoft tries to find the right balance between the technical and aesthetic sides of making its Surface tablets. Groene says the team is a diverse mix of traditional industrial designers along with people with fashion backgrounds, 3D modelers and more. He also talks about the early days of the team, when someone created a model of the Surface with a built-in kickstand. That model was apparently put by the wayside for a couple of days as the team worked on other concepts. It was only later that a member of the team thought that incorporating the kickstand was a good enough idea to take further.

The video also offers glimpses of the Surface design team's workshop, where new models and concepts are developed and later made.

Pre-orders for the WiFI-only 10.6-inch Surface 3 models are now being shipped to customers. The tablet will go on sale Tuesday, May 5 in Microsoft Store retail outlets and other locations for the starting price of $499. Versions of the tablet with built-in LTE support will go on sale later this summer.

Source: Surface (YouTube)