Windows 10 Icons Get a New Look

Microsoft introduced redesigned Office icons back in 2018, now it's time for Windows 10's built-in apps to get the same treatment.

Posting on Windows Blogs, Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager for the Windows Insider Program, confirmed that the Windows 10 icons are being updated. Windows Insiders on the Fast ring will see them before everyone else, with the Alarms & Clock, Calculator, Mail, and Calendar icons being the first to change.

The new icons are part of a multi-year project Microsoft started in 2018 to redesign over 100 icons using new colors, materials, and finishes. The main goal was to create new icons that demonstrated innovation and change while maintaining familiarity with end users. Microsoft is relying on its Fluent Design System to create these icons, and it worked well for Office.

Christina Koehn, Design Leader for Windows and Devices at Microsoft, explains that there's now an estimated four connected devices used per person, meaning the design focus needs to be on "simplicity at the systems level." In other words, the icon is a wayfinder across multiple devices and operating systems, making its design that much more important.

Windows 10 users will soon find out how successful Koehn and her team have been at achieving that mix of simplicity and instant recognition.

:story: PC Magazine