Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker

The effects of the coronavirus continue to devastate communities and economies around the world. Earlier this year, while reports of contagion were still largely contained, a multi-disciplinary team at Microsoft came together to design for the unthinkable. This was not a corporate mandate. This was conceived and launched by designers and engineers as a voluntary mission to utilize Microsoft’s powerful technology for the good.

The unthinkable arrived: a global pandemic declared by the World Health Organization. In real time, the Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker was released to the worldwide public. It continues to track the spread of the coronavirus, helping to facilitate communication between people and communities. The Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker remains a source of truth for governments, citizens, and communities to receive up-to-date information on one of history’s most devastating events.

The Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker is powered by data from trusted health organizations, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A simple dashboard displays need-to-know infographics at a glance, anywhere in the world. Hover interactions highlight data city-by-city instantaneously. The Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker is updated every 20 minutes on average.

This project was designed for humanity, aligned to Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The designers who contributed to its creation worked around the clock, collaborating across time zones to deliver an impeccable product with no room for error. Continuous iteration, self-hosting, and re-designs framed the design process, with an urgency entirely self-driven by the enormity of the impact.

As of this writing, the Microsoft Bing COVID Tracker reports 1,177,077 fatal cases. We will continue to deliver the truth, designed for unprecedented worldwide connection.

bing.com/covid