Metro is all about clean and simple design with an engaging experience for the user. I wholeheartedly agree with that principle and applaud the fact that Microsoft has at last brought graphic design to the public face of the operating system. The look and feel of PocketPC / Windows CE et-al was always firmly based on desktop and that was surely a mistake. Small form factors, low resolution screens and intermittent usage demands a clear and concise way of presenting data.
Web design principles are too informal, too loose, for an operating system so although web sites are eminently usable and can be design works of art, the need to provide a consistent experience for users across a broad range of applications does not allow the unrestricted use of web design principles in a phone application.
Windows Phone 7 / 7.5 / Metro answers that requirement in a way that provides both the design simplicity and the ordered operating system expectations of the developer. This means that to design a good Metro application, one must follow the design guidelines.
Interestingly enough, the design guidelines for Metro have been made partly because of hardware design limitations for systems with limited memory and processor power. A Panorama application should have no more than five screen widths of content for example. Joy of joys, reduction of content implies fewer active controls on the page - a great design principle anyway - and also serves to reduce processor load for controls that do more than just display visuals.
How then does Metro translate to the desktop? Well, although the session yesterday was clearly phone oriented, the idea of reduction of complexity, user centric usability and ease of navigation is something missing from desktop applications. As a developer of desktop line-of-business applications I see that there must be a clear decision made whether one chooses to go the more conventional application design route or the Metro route.
On more capable systems such as those having flat panel displays and desktop type processing power, Metro us an ideal choice if, and only if, your application is aimed at consumers. By "consumer" I mean a consumer of services provided by the system, rather than a creator or power user. Metro is a beautiful glossy presentation window for all the complicated stuff you don't need your users to worry their pretty little heads about. Metro should absolutely not be the choice of UI for your next line of business application unless of course you are using untrained chimps to actually run your business.
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