Forum Discussion
Elliot Kirk
Microsoft
MicrosoftDiscussion - Updating our interface with Fluent touches
Hi Insiders. We have received a whole lot of feedback on the overall design of the next version of Microsoft Edge. First off, we would like to thank you all for the feedback that you have submitted. ...
Thank you so much for all your feedback on the overall design of the new version of Edge, as it is invaluable to our getting the experience right. A common thread through this feedback has been a lot of discussion about the definition of “Fluent” design, and how it should apply to Microsoft products, so we wanted to share an update to provide some clarity. As opposed to a specific or static set of design rules, Fluent is intended to be an ever-evolving design system across Microsoft products. As the world around us continues to evolve, including devices, interaction models, user habits and expectations, the Microsoft design system must also evolve to meet the changing needs of our users. This means Fluent will not necessarily always represent everything that it did several years ago when the look and feel of the legacy version of Edge was first developed. You can learn more about the current direction of Fluent by visiting the Fluent Design System Page, which provides a summary of the design system as a whole, as well as how it applies to different platforms, applications and controls across Microsoft.
If you browse through the Fluent guidance at the link above, you’ll note that the new version of Edge is aligned with the current direction Fluent is going, and we will continue to evolve along with the design system and Microsoft as a whole. While Edge may be one of the first to put some of these new Fluent elements into practice, you will continue to see other products across the company update to reflect this direction as well. For example, you’ll notice that the latest Fluent designs are characterized by rounded corners across objects and controls, and the new version of Edge is consistent with that guidance. Another example is that there isn't a pivotal focus on transparency in the latest Fluent designs, and surfaces of the new version of Edge reflects this.
This is not to say we will never consider incorporating such aspects into our designs going forward, or perhaps offering options to customize the look and feel, but there are no plans to incorporate these elements into the default experience for all users at this time. However, there are other design investments on our roadmap to continue aligning with the broader Fluent direction, such as updating icons and illustrations across the product. Please continue to send your feedback on the overall Edge look and feel, including preferences and pain points, as we are always open to learning more and updating our direction based on the needs of our users.
- The Microsoft Edge Team
Dear Elliot Kirk and the Edge development team,
First of all, thank you for making this post! I'm sure I'm not the only person who is relieved and excited to see that you're all finally ready to discuss Fluent Design in detail. After all, Fluent Design isn't just the package that Windows applications come in - it's the way everything is accomplished between the user and the browser.
I want to lay down a few pieces of groundwork before I respond to the specific statements you've put forward.
First off, I will try my best to explain only my own desires for the future of Fluent Design in Edge. There are some people that would probably want Edge to feel familiar, similar to Google Chrome. There might be other people who are only interested in how the New Edge can be made to look and feel like the Old Edge. I cannot speak for these positions. I do not have adequate insight into why people hold those positions or what specific benefits those design philosophies would have. I also do not have the resources to be able to determine what camp is largest or most important to making Edge a success "with the masses". As I cannot tell if I am speaking for the masses, and I can't tell whether I am part of the masses, I must speak only for myself. My position is that Edge should "be new" and that it should fit well with the operating system it is installed on.
Second, I want to define Fluent Design in my own words. I believe this is important because my definition of Fluent Design might be very different from other people's. With the emphasis that I have personally put on design languages in the past, I've had the subconscious feeling that "design languages are everything." With the amount of feedback I've been writing to the Edge team, I've realized that this just isn't true. Fluent Design defines how apps look and how apps are laid out, but it does not define what an app can do. For example, Fluent Design says that the Set Aside Tabs feature should slide out from a side panel, and the button for it should turn blue. However, Fluent Design doesn't say whether or not Edge should have a Set Aside Tabs feature. Given this, I won't use this post to ask that any particular feature be added to Edge.
With that lengthy introduction down, let's get to responding to the topics set forth in Elliot Kirk's post.
Why Insider Edge should look Fluent
Fluent design makes it obvious that an app isn't just made to run on Windows 10, but that it's made to fully take advantage of features like Timeline, Share, and Focus assist. Apps like Your Phone and Calculator feel better to use in Windows 10 than apps like Microsoft To-Do or File Explorer. This has nothing to do with the age of the app; To-Do recently got a UI makeover while calculator was one of the oldest apps to get the Fluent treatment. The determining factor is fluent design. Even though I spend most of my time in this browser, I am also familiar with how the rest of the preinstalled apps look. Those apps define Windows 10 for me. When I booted up Edge Canary on release day, the first two things I said to myself was "wow, that was fast", and "wow, it looks like Chrome." I think Microsoft Edge is supposed to be the crown jewel of the operating system. Edge Canary still feels like it was developed primarily by Google, and it doesn't fit with the rest of Windows 10. What task am I trying to accomplish with Fluent Design's theme? Fluent Design is the official Microsoft stamp of quality and compatibility for Windows 10. I also like the shiny, glass look of new apps like Your Phone more than the flat, google-style look of Edge.
This whole paragraph brings up a good question: how should Edge look on other operating systems? Well, I can't answer that. I don't have any experience with Mac OS, and Linux doesn't really have a "style", so I don't know if it would be better to have a Fluent style to bring home the fact that "this is a Microsoft product" or if it would be better to have a style that matches the OS to say "this software was made special, just for this environment".
There is another big part of my desire to see Fluent added to Microsoft Edge Insider. I believe that Insider Edge should react Fluently. Fluent design is about efficient, capable design. Open up the old version of Edge, and open up the latest version of Edge insider. The design choices in Classic Edge have two big advantages: You can do more with less, and you can do things more easily.
What do I mean by doing more with less? Well, when on a simple website like google.com, Classic's right click menu has only 4 items. Edge Insider has 9. There are a bunch of extra, unnecessary things in Edge insider's context menu! Some things are already easy to access from the address bar; others should stay in the Settings and More menu. This applies to a lot of the things Edge Insider inherited from Chrome. Why do we need a profile button in the address bar? Why do we need a New Tab button in the Settings and More menu? Classic Edge has so many more features than Edge Insider: Set Aside Tabs, Tab Previews, Inking on Webpages... and yet it feels way less cluttered because every tool has a specific place to be. In Edge Insider, every tool tries to be everywhere, and it just bothers me.
You shouldn't forget that Classic Edge also lets the user do things more easily. The Edge Hub combines History and Favorites into a side pane that can be pinned open. Edge insider has a massive dropdown menu for favorites. Maybe middle or right clicking on those favorites will keep the dropdown menu open, but a dedicated "pin pane" button takes out the guesswork. This isn't a unique situation: Edge Insider kept Google's Find in page popup menu; Classic Edge has an entire row worth of features and adjusts the tab size to accommodate it. Google's Fullscreen mode just has an X when you move the mouse to the top of the screen; Classic Edge pulls down the entire Edge tab and address bars.
The genius layout of Classic Edge is why I liked that browser and why I wanted to see it improve. I said it before, and I'll say it again: Classic Edge runs horribly on my PC. Smooth scroll doesn't work, rearranging tabs around used to crash it, and Youtube just wouldn't pause for a full 10 seconds when clicking the button. The layout of the features included was what made Edge good, and the pairing of that layout philosophy with the speed and reliability of Google Chrome was why I was, and am, excited to see the development of Chromium Edge. I am extremely happy to see the edge development team prioritize reliability in this version. I've had to reinstall the Your Phone application about once a month now, and that app is missing a back button if you shrink the window too small, but I haven't had any major crashes or usability hurdles (I mean, besides sync) with Edge Canary in recent memories. This is a multi-platform daily build vs a so-called stable version on one OS! It's something to be really proud of. However, I don't want to see Edge to launch looking or feeling like a Google browser plus some things that could have been extensions. If a stable chromium release came out tomorrow, I'd love it because I know how reliable this browser is. However, if a stable Chromium Edge came out tomorrow and I hadn't been using Edge Canary for a year already, I would download it and say "Well, this is just Chrome but with collections and read aloud tacked on. What were they doing for the last year?" So, what is the task that I am trying to accomplish? I want a browser that looks like it was made by Microsoft, and a browser that is easy to use (no more dropdown list for favorites!) and well laid out so that things are easy to find (no more bloated right click menu!)
when will you add this? any date to expect acrylic back?
- Not for everyone. Acrylic was fine ten years ago, but fluent design is cleaner and more comfortable for the eye than acrylic. That's my opinion. Everyone likes something different, so if acrylic comes back it should be optional.
