What does Office 2016 tell us about the evolution of the Modern UI?

What we love about building amazing User Experiences is the challenge of working with new technologies, pushing boundaries and inspiring innovation. It’s a field which means we’re constantly pushed to be creative and have a finger on the pulse of what’s trending in the industry and keeping one step ahead in the design game.

UX designers everywhere were taken aback when Microsoft introduced the Modern UI design language to Windows 8 and their phone and tablet range. Although it had some precedents, this was the first major roll-out and credit’s due for the courage such a big shift in approach required. Out were icons, in were tiles. Out were desktops and start menus, in was parallel scrolling and rich typography.

While Modern UI suffered from some hiccups, it has to be recognized that tiles, simple colours and the emphasis on text over icons really pushed boundaries when it comes to design. It only takes a quick look at the website of almost any Microsoft partner company of the last couple of years to see how much of an impact this move has had; the Internet abounds with flat, content focussed websites with clean and simple interfaces - a pretty impressive coup from Microsoft’s design team, then.

Since the release of the first screenshots of the upcoming releases of Windows 10 and Office 16, the internet has been full of speculation about the changes and alterations Microsoft have made to the look and feel of the interface. These tasters only tell us so much, but what is for sure is that Modern UI is here to stay. With a commitment to Universal app writing, touch friendly and a cloud first approach, Modern UI, with its tiles and simple interaction doesn’t look likely to be dropped any time soon. So, for UX designers wanting to know how this will affect their work in future, or for anyone with an interest in User Experience, having an idea of how Modern UI will evolve is exciting stuff!

Where did Modern UI come from?

Previously known as Metro, Modern UI is a design language and set of principles which underlie the User Interface in all Windows products. Although it had been previously seen in MSN 2.0, Encarta ‘95 and had been around since the 1990s, it only came into its own with the release of the Windows 7 phone.

The Microsoft design team drew on a number of sources of inspiration for the approach and principles which underpin Modern UI. One influence in particular were the principles of Swiss graphic design. The emphasis here is on clean pages, blocks of simple color, bold and direct text and a clear message structure. It’s pleasing to look at and makes it easy to follow the hierarchy of messages. Microsoft also say they were inspired by the kind of simple designs you see in public transport hubs, where direction and information are often displayed in easy to read blocks.

The thinking behind this new approach is part of Microsoft’s commitment to cloud and mobile first. When users interact with their mobile and tablet screens, there’s a need for simple touch interactions and this simplified, clean-cut design guides the user’s navigation through the interface with less confusion.

So, what can we expect from Modern UI in the future?

The screenshots which Microsoft released give some hints about what to expect from Modern UI in the coming years. One thing that’s for sure is that the clean, stripped back look we’ve gotten used to with Windows 8 is definitely here to stay. Ribbons in Office 16 are reduced to the most basic functions (although more complicated tools will of course still be available) and this again points to the focus on touch friendly and cloud first. There’s a focus on tabs and OneNote in particular has been seriously slimmed down to its most functional level. Besides the look and feel aspects here, Microsoft are also including a kind of upgraded “Clippy” which lets users ask questions about how to complete tasks in Office.

When will we get to find out more?

Microsoft haven’t given an exact date on when we’ll be able to get out hands on Windows 10 and Office 16. Nonetheless, the general thrust is that these new developments should be released before the end of the year. Furthermore, Microsoft have made a preview of Office ‘16 available for anyone to try out and explore.

Looking for more precise information, we’re certain that we’ll be hearing a lot more about Modern UI at Microsoft Ignite this coming May. The corporation’s major industry event will include sessions on a huge variety of topics related to their various platforms and we’re expecting lots of hints about what Office 2016 will look like.

UX design is constantly moving forward and Modern UI is a brave step by one of the industry’s major players. We can’t wait to see how this will look going forward and get designing great UX for the new interface.