Microsoft is redesigning the Start menu in Home windows 11 this month with a brand new, wider design that lastly enables you to disable the beneficial feed of information and apps. Whereas the brand new Begin menu appears totally different to what exists in Home windows 11 at the moment, this design refresh might have seemed so much totally different as Microsoft has now revealed in idea pictures.
In a blog post detailing the method of redesigning the Begin menu, Microsoft has revealed 5 idea designs that would have radically overhauled how the menu works in Home windows. One contains an much more rounded menu with widget-like performance, and a separate For You part that lists Groups conferences, YouTube movies, and just lately used information.
One other idea has the For You part separated on the facet, with the principle menu centered on classes of apps, and one other prototype imagines a touchdown web page because the Begin menu, full with shortcuts, apps, information, and separate sections to entry your Android cellphone, personalised app lists, and creation instruments. There’s even a begin menu idea that seems to take up your complete vertical house of a display screen, full with separated sections that you just appear to scroll vertically to entry.
“Whiteboards, Figma frames, floor-to-ceiling paper prototypes—nothing was too scrappy,” says the Home windows design staff. “We sketched out a plethora of layouts, letting ourselves go wild and uncover new issues earlier than making use of the editorial pen.”
Microsoft examined its varied Begin menu designs with greater than 300 Home windows 11 followers and even co-creation calls with choose followers. “We watched eye-tracking warmth maps swirl, counted scroll wheels, and listened for ’oh!‘s of enjoyment to know the place we have been hitting the mark,” says the design staff.
The main target of the brand new Begin menu has been on having the ability to simply see your apps, customizability, velocity, and never overhauling it an excessive amount of to “respect three many years of muscle reminiscence.” The result’s a brand new Begin menu that’s larger and extra customizable than what exists at the moment. With the ability to take away the beneficial feed can be a welcome addition for a lot of, and the cellphone companion panel appears prefer it’s absolutely constructed into the Begin menu to offer fast entry to current calls, messages, and cellphone information.
Microsoft is testing this new Begin menu with Home windows Insiders over the approaching month, so count on to see it present up for all Home windows 11 customers within the coming months.