Friday, February 21st 2020

Microsoft Redesigns Windows 10 Icons

Feb 21st, 2020 04:48 Discuss (68 Comments)

Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system has been a mix of old and new designs since its launch, however, Microsoft decided to modernize its UI look by providing a fresh set of icons. If you are a user of Microsoft Office suite, then you already know how the new icons look for Office applications like Excel and Word. The material design present on those apps is now transferring to the rest of Windows 10 stock applications like Calendar and Calculator. In the effort to modernize the look of Windows 10 and end the Windows 7 inspired UI, Microsoft will be pushing the updated icon set over few following months. The updates icons are already available for Windows 10 Insiders, and specifically for Preview Build 19569. Regular users can expect to get the update in the coming months.

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68 Comments on Microsoft Redesigns Windows 10 Icons

TheLostSwede

News Editor

Looks very Google-esque.

lexluthermiester

TheLostSwedeLooks very Google-esque.

You know the old saying, If you can't beat them, join them..

I think they look good, however, this new style needs to be applied to the desktop icons as well.

EzioAs

lexluthermiesterI think they look good, however, this new style needs to be applied to the desktop icons as well.

That's the plan though? Unless you're talking about something else

lexluthermiester

EzioAsThat's the plan though? Unless you're talking about something else

I don't see the Computer, Network, Recycle Bin or Documents folder icons in the above samples.

delshay

I already have one of those icons on windows 7, Microsoft Edge icon.

SL2

So they're basically dropping the W8 icon style. It's 8 years old, maybe about time.

I see the Groove Music icon in there, it's been discontinued for a while now..

birdie

Wow, 24 bit colors, shadows, gradients.

Back to DESIGN, not childish pseudo-graphics which has been the bane of the industry since W8.

There's too much blue but I guess they'll fix that as well.

8BitZ80

I must say, these new icons look waaaay better. Never liked the original plain white 2D look. It's amazing what a bit of color and depth can do. Icon art hasn't been this good since Windows XP.

lexluthermiester

birdieWow, 24 bit colors, shadows, gradients.

Back to DESIGN, not childish pseudo-graphics which has been the bane of the industry since W8.

Now if they can apply this to the rest of the OS..

#10

SL2

TheLostSwedeLooks very Google-esque.

I thought "very Microsoft-esque" the first time I saw Material Design in 2014.. although the latter looked better.

#11

birdie

lexluthermiesterNow if they can apply this to the rest of the OS..

That would mean they'd have to admit the whole W8/W10/tablet design has been a huge mistake and W7 was the pinnacle of their design team. Not gonna happen any time soon I'm afraid.

God, I miss W7 so much - too bad it's barely functional on my Ryzen 3000 system, so I don't even boot into it :-(

#12

SL2

birdieBack to DESIGN, not childish pseudo-graphics which has been the bane of the industry since W8.

Dunno about childish, I've never seen a child draw like that. More like overly simplified, similar to bathroom sign-style.. :D

birdieThat would mean they'd have to admit the whole W8/W10/tablet design has been a huge mistake and W7 was the pinnacle of their design team.

Wasn't that a consequence of trying to get into the tablet market, with the intent to make the GUI less demanding? I'm sure I've read it, but it was a long time ago.

#13

EzioAs

MatsSo they're basically dropping the W8 icon style. It's 8 years old, maybe about time.

I see the Groove Music icon in there, it's been discontinued for a while now..

Discontinued development. Still functional. Would be great if MS decided to open source it though. A lot of people are interested in contributing and adding more features to Groove.

#14

lexluthermiester

birdieThat would mean they'd have to admit the whole W8/W10/tablet design has been a huge mistake

Not really. They don't need to admit what everyone already knows. All they need to do is introduce a new style and call it progress.

MatsDunno about childish, I've never seen a child draw like that. More like overly simplified, similar to bathroom sign-style.. :D

I do. Windows 8/8.1/10 UI has always looked like something for 5 year olds. It is unappealing. Windows XP, Vista and especially 7 all looked much better.

#15

TheLostSwede

News Editor

lexluthermiesterYou know the old saying, If you can't beat them, join them..

I think they look good, however, this new style needs to be applied to the desktop icons as well.

I didn't say they looked bad, just that they looked quite a bit like the current Google style when it comes to app icons.
Almost anything is better than the current mishmash of icons being used.

#16

lexluthermiester

TheLostSwedeI didn't say they looked bad, just that they looked quite a bit like the current Google style when it comes to app icons.

Oh sorry, didn't mean to imply that you did.

TheLostSwedeAlmost anything is better than the current mishmash of icons being used.

Agreed!

#17

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

lexluthermiesterI do. Windows 8/8.1/10 UI has always looked like something for 5 year olds. It is unappealing. Windows XP, Vista and especially 7 all looked much better.

Microsoft switched to simpler graphics for icons and buttons (across Windows and Office), due to the emergence of remote desktops, DaaS, VDIs, etc. It's easier on the network bandwidth.

#18

SL2

lexluthermiesterI do. Windows 8/8.1/10 UI has always looked like something for 5 year olds. It is unappealing.

I know that bashing Windows has always been popular, even among those who use it, me included. I have yet to see a 5 year old make icons and symbols like that tho.

Compare W8 icons with train station and airport symbols instead, both one color, both overly simplified.

Edit: Oh, FOR children? Lots of colors is mandatory in anything for children, we all know that..

#19

lexluthermiester

btarunrMicrosoft switched to simpler graphics for icons and buttons (across Windows and Office), due to the emergence of remote desktops, DaaS, VDIs, etc. It's easier on the network bandwidth.

Now that's an interesting thought. However, most icons have several different color and resolution options so display of same over a network connection could easily be controlled by the host system selecting the lowest color and resolution state for transmission. But I digress..

#20

Vayra86

TheLostSwedeLooks very Google-esque.

I like how MS uses the gradients of colors to make them distinctive. The letters are also helpful to match old with new.

These icons look miles more fine tuned than everything Google has produced. I mean what can you do with an icon. They're no longer distinguised by color spaces (I do remember those 256 color days :D) so thats no longer special either ;)

#21

ARF

I don't like these new icons. Look too childish, like made by or for children in the kindergarten.

#22

VulkanBros

Let´s have the good old Win 3.0 icons back :roll:

#23

ARF

I prefer something with design, not animated, over-simplified and hard to understand MS proposals.

#24

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

lexluthermiesterNow that's an interesting thought. However, most icons have several different color and resolution options so display of same over a network connection could easily be controlled by the host system selecting the lowest color and resolution state for transmission. But I digress..

For large organizations where tens of thousands of employees are carrying their work home (and connecting to their work machine or a VD), those few kbps of bandwidth saved add up (the organization's Internet pipe handling those many thousands of RDs/VDs).

#25

lexluthermiester

VulkanBrosLet´s have the good old Win 3.0 icons back :roll:

Oh goodness no. They were good for their time, but it's 2020, let's have something commiserate for todays computing.

btarunrFor large organizations where tens of thousands of employees are carrying their work home (and connecting to their work machine or a VD), those few kbps of bandwidth saved add up (the organization's Internet pipe handling those many thousands of RDs/VDs).

Very true!

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Microsoft Redesigns Windows 10 Icons

68 Comments on Microsoft Redesigns Windows 10 Icons

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