Windows 11 is getting a “UI rejuvenation” in the coming months, which means Microsoft will talk a lot about modernizing legacy features. However, Microsoft can’t realistically make a billion people happy with its design choices, and its Windows design boss recently admitted it when one user asked what the point of a Start menu was when the new Windows Search can do everything.
For context, Microsoft recently announced a new Windows Search experience that can run actions, such as changing settings, without even opening Windows Settings. That means you can search for “dark mode” in Windows Search, and it’ll show you a toggle to turn it off or on right away, instead of opening Windows Settings.
It’s a great idea, but one user made a pretty strange comment, noting, “I honestly hope this kills the Start Menu. That s****’s dated and I do everything I can to avoid it when I’m forced.”
To our surprise, it caught the attention of the Vice President of Design at Windows, who made a valid counterargument.
“That’s one of the biggest challenges of designing an OS for over 1 billion people. Everyone has different preferences and workflows,” wrote Diego Baca, VP of Design at Windows. “Our goal is to improve performance and quality while offering more customization, so people can use Windows in ways that work best for them.”
I don’t disagree with Diego’s statement, as it totally makes sense. I no longer use the Start menu as much as I used to in the past. I have PowerToys’ Command Palette Dock, which acts as a second taskbar, and together with the actual taskbar, I’ve reduced my clicks on the Start menu.
But I can’t expect Microsoft to remove the Start menu because I use it less often than others.
Microsoft thought Start menu recommendations were a good idea, but most users hated it
At the same time, another example of these different preferences, and probably the better one, would be the Recommended/Recent section in the Start menu.
If you look at the Feedback Hub, most users have always advocated against the idea, but Microsoft’s researchers found it to be a pretty good idea. In 2025, I learned that Microsoft was actually excited by the idea of having a recommended feed in the Start menu, which it calls “dynamic.”
According to Microsoft’s explanation of the Start menu redesign, the Recommendations section was meant to “accelerate the day.” The original idea has always been to surface your files and apps based on context and your habits.
Microsoft described the following use cases for the Start menu’s recommendations in its design post.
- To show “yesterday’s missed meeting recording at 9 am”
- To bring up “snap groups to get you back in the flow throughout the day”
- To surface “that app you always open around 2 pm”
- To present “the app you didn’t know you needed just when you need it”
And the list goes on… all of it based on “user feedback,” according to Microsoft.
Microsoft isn’t lying when it says it received the feedback, but it won’t tell us what the majority wanted. At one point, it might have made sense to assume that Microsoft’s researchers went ahead with the ideas they had and justified the move with select feedback, ignoring the majority.
Microsoft is promising to revive Windows again
In March 2026, Microsoft acknowledged that it had neglected Windows and promised to revive the operating system. The reaction to the announcement was mixed, as most users did not believe Microsoft’s words. And that shouldn’t surprise anybody, as it’s not the first time the company has tried to “revive” Windows.
At one point, Satya Nadella suggested that he wanted people to go from needing Windows to loving Windows. Nothing really changed, and Windows was eventually put on the back burner, with no improvements and more bloatware. That appears to be changing in 2026, as Windows’ bad reputation is damaging Microsoft’s AI efforts.
In 2026, Microsoft plans to focus on Windows 11’s design rejuvenation, which simply means modernizing old interfaces and adding more WinUI-based features. It also plans to ship 100% native apps on Windows 11.
Windows design boss Diego Baca also noted that the company is going to give users more customization options because “everyone has different preferences.”
