Microsoft and the new design of Windows 10: is a “rejuvenation” coming?

At Microsoft there are some news coming: a new design is planned for Windows 10 , or at least this is what the Redmond company has made to understand. An announcement appeared on Microsoft's vacancies page seeking a Senior Software Engineer who could "deliver graphic rejuvenation." The phrase, very explicit, disappeared a few hours later, but by now the news had leaked.

Microsoft: new design for Windows 10?

The news would not be so strange: the start menu and the icons of the proprietary applications are already "updated" and many users have found them in the latest updates. Microsoft's new style is called “Fluent Design”, which is also the name of the company's proprietary design language. The characteristics are minimalism of the icons, chromatic linearity and cleanliness of the interface .

The solution sought for Windows 10 includes a more homogeneous and young design, abandoning elements that are too old (some date back to Windows 95 ). The Start menu would be further modified, replacing the tiles with something more modern. Likewise the elements of the File Explorer, the built-in apps, the sliders, the buttons and the different controls would see themselves dressed in new elements.

In last year's video we still see the tiles, but they could disappear with the new update . Already a few months ago, rumors claimed that Microsoft would have eliminated these characteristic elements as, according to the analysis, little used by users. In general, the menu appears more homogeneous and merged with the background, picking up the colors and avoiding breaking too visually.

For 2021, however, judging by the rumors, the graphical change of Windows could be deeper than expected . The revolution could take place with a view to optimizing the user experience on tablets and convertible. Microsoft intends to improve both the physical controls (mouse and trackpad) and the touch interaction with the display, with the aim of making it as simple and more similar to an interaction with the computer.

Windows usage increased nearly 75% during the pandemic, and Microsoft is keen to invest as much as possible in its flagship operating system . In fact, the job announcement read, before it was changed,: "to visually rejuvenate Windows experiences, to make our customers understand that Windows is back and make it the best experience on the operating systems market ". A request that leaves no doubt about the company's will.

Outlook is also renewed

There is also a renewal of the Outlook app in the Windows plans. The intention is to create a single client, both for Windows and Mac, and subsequently to replace the Windows 10 mail and calendar applications . The idea is to unify the web app (already present) and desktop PC clients and Mac to offer a consistent experience by eliminating the different applications currently present.

The new client will be called "Monarch" and is not expected before the end of this year , while the mail and calendar apps will only be replaced in 2022. The new application will be lighter and will share the same code between Windows and Mac, without forgo the benefits of a native app. The new Outlook will be renamed to “One Outlook”, whose files have already been shared on the web. After installation, however, login is only possible if you have a Microsoft Corporation account.

In short, 2021 will be a year of great news for Microsoft. Although there is no confirmation on the graphic revolution, the many rumors collected during the last year all point in the same direction. The uncertain world situation does not allow to give precise dates, and it is for this reason that Microsoft has not yet announced anything official .

Windows 10 is the most used computer operating system in the world and it is normal that Microsoft wants to invest all its strength in it, continuously trying to improve the user experience. In the plans of the company there is perhaps the intention to release the news in the first half of the year , but considering that the job announcement is a few days ago, the graphic renewal could take longer.

The article Microsoft and the new design of Windows 10: is a "rejuvenation" coming? comes from Tech CuE .