Windows 11 is almost here. Microsoft’s new operating system is currently available in beta with a public release scheduled for later this year. Each iteration of Microsoft Windows is something of a milestone, but there’s a definite feeling that Windows 11 marks some sort of important transition. Our growing reliance on mobile devices, Apple’s enduring role as the most creative platform, and the rise of Google’s Chrome operating system have all reduced Windows’ dominance. Will Windows 11 be the ultimate software evolution before something else happens?
Microsoft: a story
Windows is one of the most used software in history. Introduced in November 1985, Windows was originally seen as a less sophisticated competitor to the revolutionary Mac OS. However, thanks to the worldwide popularity and low price of the IBM PC clone and the persistence of Bill Gate, Windows evolved to dominate the personal computer market. The operating system really came of age with Windows 3.0 in 1990, when it was finally able to stand neck and neck with Mac OS in look and feel. What followed was a few decades of back and forth between the tech giants, a hard-fought rivalry that is now deeply entrenched in our culture, for better or worse. Those bad old days of binary distinctions that turned your choice of operating system into a kind of political allegiance are long gone.
Windows 11 has a new central focus and a more fluid design language
“Blooming” is a central motif in Windows 11, an algorithmically generated animated object
With Windows 11, the graphical user interface intensifies with a more open, fluid, and welcoming approach. As well as a visual overhaul, there’s a new Microsoft Store, a Widgets feed that promises AI-powered curation of your interests, much tighter integration with games and the wider Xbox ecosystem, as well as an easier way to transport your desktop and current screen setup between different devices.
“Windows 11 took 35 years to develop,” says Ralf Groene, design lead for Windows & Devices. “I’ve personally been at Microsoft for 15 years, most of that time spent on Surface devices. We’ve been embedded alongside the Windows team for a decade, so when the opportunity arose to work on Windows 11 and combining the design team with the software team was extremely interesting. Groene’s team is made up of industrial designers, material designers and UX designers. “We have a very diverse set disciplines, but the goal is to bring together all cultures.”
As Groene notes, with over a billion Windows users worldwide, it’s nearly impossible to consider just one type of user. “Human-centered design is the only way to make a great product,” he says. Like any operating system, Windows is characterized by its flexibility, and 11 is no different. Groene and his team focused on creating a much closer symbiosis between hardware and software. ‘The operating system shouldn’t get in the way. I use the analogy of a musician,” he says. “When they’re playing music, the instrument feels like it’s dissolving. We have the same approach when you’re using the operating system. It shouldn’t be distracting. The most obvious innovation is the new focus of the OS on a centralized theme. The Start menu and taskbar are now centered by default, a response, according to Groene, to the trend of increasingly large and wide screens. “We strongly believe that the needs humans come first,” he says, “you had to reach half a meter to the left to access part of the user interface.”
The evolving design language of Windows
Windows 11 emphasizes accessibility more than ever
The levels of backwards compatibility are mind-boggling. “Windows is the greatest Swiss army knife you can imagine,” acknowledges Groene, Windows has always played cat and mouse with ever-changing hardware and peripherals, ever-faster chips, and ever-more demanding users. “A Windows computer is something you work and play on. It should be simple by default but complex on demand. We live in an age of hyperconnectivity.
Christina Koehn, Senior Design Director for Windows, shaped these fundamental design decisions. Koehn was part of a team of 60 designers, typesetters and iconographers responsible for creating the new look and feel of Windows 11, improving accessibility and increasing the sense of connectivity between the operating system and hardware. . “It’s a product that’s been around for over three decades,” she explains, “the various design languages of Windows have always expressed the available technology.” She cites the major innovations of Windows 95 and XP, then the transparency effects of the ‘Aero’ design language introduced for Windows 7, which was followed by the flat visual identity of ‘Metro’, with its icons in the same color , used in Windows 8.
From top, Windows 2.0, introduced in December 1987, Windows 95 (August 1995), Windows 8 (August 2012) and Windows 10 (July 2015). Courtesy of Microsoft Archives
Windows 11 uses Microsoft’s current “Fluent” identity, marking a return to more skeuomorphic icons, placing more emphasis on depth and bolder visual cues for selected items. “It’s less ‘one size fits all’ than it used to be, but it can bend and flex to suit your needs and accessibility,” says Koehn, “Windows 10 just got softer and more welcoming, and that’s an evolution of this year-long multi-trip.’ In addition to the central accent, there are also typographic tweaks, giving Microsoft’s main font family, Segoe UI, a softer approach with true dynamic scalability, depending on device and resolution.
The icons are also cool. “We’ve audited all the different icons we’ve used over the years,” Koehn says, “We’ve made a huge effort to go back and touch every pixel and they feel more cohesive,” she says, “we let’s remove as much complexity as we can. There’s depth and dimension to the icons. Even things like default wallpapers and opening screens are approached through the lens of a palette “Materials set an emotional aesthetic tone,” says Koehn, “the materials we use in software feel as real as the materials we use in our hardware. For Windows 11, we compounded the use of mica , which has translucent properties.You also need to be mindful of processor speed and smoothness – it’s all about finding the sweet spots.
Windows 11 Redesigned Notification Icons
Selection of Windows 11 wallpapers
This is where cross-pollination between hardware and software teams comes into its own. “Wallpapers are one of the hardest things to design,” says Groene. “In Windows 10, we had the logo with the light streaming through it. For Windows 11, we’re focusing on this ‘bloom’ image, which is a still image from a series we created. It looks organic , like a flower, but it was created using an algorithm. It combines the human touch with technology. Koehn notes how these new assets also help focus the eye on the center of the screen.’ When you log in, the flower comes alive, unfurling from the bottom center of the screen, symbolizing this new era for Windows.’
Putting together a whole new iteration of such a sophisticated product is an exercise in collaboration. The sound design has also been changed, softening the waveforms and bringing back a revised version of the familiar startup sound, initiated by former Microsoft audio creative director Matthew Bennett and completed by agency Phi Bui. “Humans interact with software using all of their senses,” says Groene, “Matthieu has a real talent for turning our graphics into sound waves.” Koehn stresses the importance of audio cues for people with low visibility, and these accessibility demands also carry over to the different ways Windows 11 is used. One of Windows 11’s big promises is a seamless, functionalist approach. “For example, switching between tablet and desktop modes costs the user a lot of thinking time,” Groene explains, “so instead the software understands its context, if a keyboard has just been detached by example. It’s hugely beneficial if Windows can figure out how you’re using it. Why make things complicated when you can just make them simple and clear?”
The new Windows 11 in dark mode
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