Microsoft’s Sway is a platform for creating simple, well-designed projects on the Web

Microsoft is pulling back the curtain on a new service called Sway, which makes it easy for anyone to make interactive, well-designed and easily shareable projects on the Web.

It’s a difficult product to describe, but it supports more than just text, photos and documents created in Office apps such as Word or PowerPoint. Microsoft describes each Sway as a “Web-based canvas” that can pull in content from OneDrive, connected devices and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The layouts are pleasant, easily adjustable and tailored for online consumption; in a promo video, Microsoft shows off some responsive themes with full-width photos, slick animations and attractive typefaces.

What exactly does Microsoft expect you to create on Sway? It’s not entirely clear. A few examples cover scientific reports, a design portfolio and an academic assignment. The platform is only available as a preview and you’ll need to request an invite before you can try it for yourself. Engadget reports that iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps are also in the works.

➤ Sway (via VentureBeat)