Microsoft has just released the first Beta of Office 12, and PC Magazine has a review here. Aptly titled "Microsoft Office 12 Beta 1: Extreme Makeover", this version is likely the most radical overhaul of the application in a long time, and a great case study in usability and interface design.

To summarize, the Office Team has forgone the cluttered, endless maze of menus in favor of a simplified, topic-based interface. Much more intuitive than playing "guess what this feature is called, and which menu its under", the topic-based system organizes features by what users want to do -- and isn't that the ultimate goal of any user-centered design?

The most impressive aspect of the interface is Microsoft's willingness to abandon the the traditional and rethink its navigation from the ground up. Too often companies restrict themselves by what they've already done, and what they've seen others do. As a result, they filter our strategies and solutions through a sieve of convention, often at the expense of walking the path from problem to solution directly. Kudos to Microsoft, and I look forward to the final release.