Criticisms And Compliments: New User Interface Elements At Microsoft Build 2018

So there are a few things I’d like to talk about regarding Windows 10 and the new user interface elements that Microsoft talked about at Build. The best way I know how to write this point list is in the order of importance I think each element has.

Acrylic. One of things pointed out by Chigusa Sansen in the session titled Fluent Design Evolving Our System is that **”Acrylic elements should be primarily used for transient UI elements.”** I really liked the fact that this added some definition to how Acrylic should be applied. (I’m not really a fan of Acrylic because I think it’s more of a trend than a necessary UI element, but I really like the fact that the distinction is made on how it should be applied.)

Context Menu. A redesign of the context menu is coming up and while the dark theme might not keep the current color scheme it has for the context menu I want to make a point regarding the border. A border is necessary, but I think the best way a border provides usage is with a slight highlight. Something like this on the left, instead of, the current model on the right.

Unnecessary Ellipses Button. Does anyone else think that the ellipses button in the Store App is unnecessary? Right now, the ellipses button has a lot of “extra” functions built into it, but it seems like a lot of those are unnecessary. There are only a few that seem important.

Those functions seem like they could be buttons on their own. Like in this concept.

With the Library, Downloads, and Profile button at the bottom.

Triple Sidebar. One of the biggest problems I have right now is with OneNote. The triple sidebar takes up a lot of space. It seems like there could be a better solution than a sidebar that covers the entire work area of the program.

Another problem I have with a sidebar taking up too much space is with Microsoft Edge. Like this.

Couldn’t there be a better solution? Something like this maybe.

Google Design. The Verge recently did an article about how Google is changing Material Design. They are changing some buttons in their apps to only have the icon as opposed to the icon plus the text to the right of it. **If an icon presents what it is meant to convey to the user than there should be no reason to have the text to the right signifying what the icon is meant to represent.** Also, I think the “one” action button at the bottom of the app seems less useful than a full solid action bar at the bottom that would have five or six different functions for that particular program. The sounds pretentious, but using keys on a keyboard is like playing on a piano and the same metaphor should be applied to mobile with icons used to denote actions. I should also mention I’m a fan of the iPhone SE because it’s easier to type with one hand.

Nothing To Do With Microsoft, But An Interesting UI All The Same. I use an iPhone. (Annoying Tangent Discussion. What’s interesting right now is the “Your Phone” app on Windows 10. Does Apple lend a hand to Microsoft and help with putting out a version of iMessage that Windows 10 users can use? Or will Google and Microsoft strengthen their relationship and come together because Android phones will be easier to make a cross platform? Apple won’t budge? Apple will budge? This is going on in the Apple Reddit right now. Most people have said that they doubt Apple will do anything, but they’ve been a little more open minded and nice toward Microsoft lately. Microsoft kind of has too. I still wish Microsoft would put out a version of Windows Mobile though. I know it’s an uphill battle, but if Microsoft is going to release Andromeda I’d really like it if they released a single screen phone alongside it.) Anyway going back to the point, One of the things that I really like is good UI and there is something when it comes to good UI that still hasn’t come to fruition and might be right around the corner. I’ve always wanted an “vertical comment system” where the tree of comments stays at the same vertical point as each comment goes further into a discussion and there’s an app on the iPhone called Apollo that almost does this very thing. I’ve tried to put a couple of concepts together, this seems to make the best usage of it without making the comments vertically aligned. I made a GIF of what the Apollo app does to show what I mean.

The color scheme keeps track of which comment goes underneath the other and would be easy to track even if they didn’t use the inline indention.

Also, Here are a few articles I’ve written about Windows 10 and Microsoft.

The State Of Windows UI. https://medium.com/@S_Russell/the-state-of-windows-ui-50c1e23ef6d4

Windows 10.: Gridlocked Features. https://medium.com/@S_Russell/windows-10-gridlocked-features-f702569b74ef)

Windows 10: The Rules Of The Interface. https://medium.com/@S_Russell/windows-10-the-rules-of-the-user-interface-97cc55bc2678

Concept Images I did For the Universal Apps. https://imgur.com/a/gX6Py

Also, Michael West on Twitter is a good UI designer. https://twitter.com/mikewestdesign?lang=en