Microsoft put loads of give attention to Home windows 11’s design when it launched the working system in 2021, making a clear break with the design language of Home windows 10 (which had, itself, merely tweaked and tailored Home windows 8’s design language from 2012). Since then, Microsoft has continued to switch the software program’s design in bits and items, each for particular person apps and for foundational UI components just like the Taskbar, system tray, and Home windows Explorer.
Microsoft is at present testing a redesigned model of the Home windows 11 Begin menu, one which reuses many of the acquainted components from the present design however reorganizes them and provides customers just a few extra customization choices. On its Microsoft Design weblog right this moment, the corporate walked by the brand new design and confirmed a few of the concepts that had been tried and discarded within the course of.
Microsoft
This discarded Begin menu design toyed with an virtually Home windows XP-ish left-hand sidebar, amongst different components.
Microsoft
Microsoft
Some designs brings to thoughts the full-screen Begin expertise of Home windows 8.
Microsoft
Microsoft
One other huge design with acres of icons and more room devoted to non-app-icons.
Microsoft
Some designs brings to thoughts the full-screen Begin expertise of Home windows 8.
Microsoft
One other huge design with acres of icons and more room devoted to non-app-icons.
Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft says it examined its menu designs with “over 300 Home windows 11 followers” in unmoderated research, “and dozens extra” in “stay co-creation calls.” These testers’ habits and reactions knowledgeable what Microsoft stored and what it discarded.
Lots of the discarded menu concepts embrace bigger previews for not too long ago opened information, more room given to calendar reminders, and really helpful “For You” content material areas; one has a “create” button that may presumably activate some generative AI characteristic. Trying on the discarded designs, it is simpler to understand that Microsoft went with a considerably extra restrained redesign of the Begin menu that remixes current components reasonably than dramatically reimagining it.
