Windows 11 is coming later this year with significant design improvements. According to Microsoft, Windows 11 has been designed to look a bit less noisy than its predecessor, thanks to the implementation of subtle rounded corners, Mica themes, and more consistent Fluent Design elements.
Windows 11 is now available for testers in the Dev and Beta Channel of the Windows Insider program, but some features and improvements are currently missing. For example, Android apps support is currently not available and most of the inbox apps also don’t have the Windows 11 elements.
In a Q&A session for developers, Microsoft recently explained its vision for Fluent Design and confirmed the new “design material” called Mica will not affect the performance of apps or the operating system. In the same Q&A, Microsoft promised that more Windows apps will be updated with Windows 11 elements.
For those unaware, Windows 11 introduces a new Mica effect that replaces the Fluent Design’s acrylic effect for the app’s window to create a “colour hierarchy” to help users focus on the primary window when they have multiple open instances of the app.
According to a new statement from Microsoft, this new design and other improvements will be adopted by more inbox apps soon.
“We’re coordinating across the company as we introduced a new Windows 11 Fluent look and feel. We want each app to kind of adopt it but they’re going to do that on their own schedule and their own cadence,” noted Kevin Gallo, Head of Developer Platform at Microsoft.
Microsoft officials also clarified that they cannot make everything available on day one because “these are all different teams and they work on their own schedules and they have their own goals.”
Fluent Design and Mica materials are ready for all apps, including Calculator and advance apps like Office.
“We design fluent really in a way that works for many types of UIs including specifically dense UI. For example, Office has a fairly complex UI [and it] is embracing Fluent so it works for all kinds of interactions – touch, keyboard, mouse and pen.”
Microsoft also suggested that Teams will be getting Windows 11-inspired look soon, but we don’t know when it will begin rolling out.
So far, Microsoft has updated apps like Windows Settings, Calculator, Mail & Calendar, and Snipping Tool with new design elements. We’re also expecting similar improvements for Groove Music, MS Paint, Photos, Clock and more.
