Thursday, March 25th 2021
Microsoft Tests Colorful New System Icons for Windows 10
Microsoft is testing a user-interface refresh with an upcoming update to Windows 10. Released for testing with Insider Preview Build 21343, the refresh includes new system icons that are of a significantly different design scheme from the ones you have now. System folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, etc.,) now come with color-coded icons resembling something from a Windows-knockoff Linux desktop environment. The graphics of the icons appear simpler, and this simplicity probably has something to do with the emergence of remote-desktop/virtual-desktop, where simpler graphics are easier on the network bandwidth, particularly on the side of the VDI server. The current system icons of Windows 10 are evolved from those of previous Windows versions.
Source:
Windows Insider Blog
83 Comments on Microsoft Tests Colorful New System Icons for Windows 10
Designing new icons for Windows is like cleaning the windows of a building that's on fire.
I think AMD consumer cards have supported 10-bit since the RX series? And yes monitors and wired networking has been stale for 10 years, just like windows.
Since win 8 Microsoft has switched between several design guideline, and each transition was never complete, and it was incremental. They are generally more focused on new functionality (several desktop, clipboard history, GPU in the task manager, game bar) over finally fixing the overall UX/UI.
I can also imagine that the sheer amount of legacy stuff in windows also make it harder to speed the overhaul with just employing more people. You need people that are familiar with the "old" windows so that you avoid to break stuff and getting flamed by the internet :D . I sometime think that windows is unnecessary complex for it's own good. It's a kind of a weird hybrid where it wants to be a consumer OS while also offering tons of deep options for professionals.
all you have to do is select windows insider developer mode and it's yours! nice
Like here's an interesting thing that Windows should be improved on: hardware/comments/m89634/_/grgnqxtBut it'll probably never happen because the vast majority of users don't care about it and mostly care about the UI. I know they are different departments, etc. But still.
blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/03/24/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-21343/
For people like me, who distinguish between taskbar icons most quickly by colour, new Explorer equals Word equals Outlook.
Those icons look like they are made based on guidelines for creating content for intellectually disabled people - I did some work for a hospital with patients suffering from various disabilities and I still remember those guidelines. In fact, Windows looks like this since the Win7 - bright colors, limited information available per area so as not to overwhelm the user, oversimplification of every aspect going beyond basic usage pattern and so on.
Custom Icons, nuf said.
1. Stability of OS - While I agree that there is no bug free software, but I don't think it is acceptable to see teething/ glaring issues with each big release. Especially when majority out there are using Windows Home edition where they can't really opt out of all these updates for long
2. Optimized for better performance - I feel with all the fanciful UI, its making the already bloated OS even more bloated
3. Improve UX - I don't know if its only me, but I noticed that in order to keep the UI clean, they are hiding features/ functions which should ideally be easily assessible.
No plans for it other than slowly migrating things from Control panel to Settings. And they're taking their sweet time doing it.