Forum Discussion
Outlook 365, how to go back to OLD ribbon graphics and icons
It's a very new look and with all new things it takes some time to adjust to. Same thing happened from the Office 2003 versions to 2007.. Also use Microsoft uservoice to release your anger and vote for improvements instead :) Microsoft will make improvements all the time..That's what makes an subscription better as well...
Adam
I'm not adverse to adjusting, when there's a real reason. I have spent time and effort customising my Office layout (although it seems actually it's not 'mine' after all). Icons for my macros and commands are easily distinguishable using the limited range of icons MS allows me to use, given I cannot create and assign my own any more (yes people were actually able to design icons, fully customise toolbars and menus, and did use their own a few Office versions previously). Customizability, which is ultimately usability, disappears with every reincarnation of Office, for the sake of eye candy.
Fifty shades of grey is not working for me at all. Any idea how I get the rest of Office to revert to previous build (I cannot understand at all why the revert only changed Word).
- So there is a "real reason" for the new icons. They are scalable to all the different size resolutions that people operate Office on nowadays. The old ribbon had fixed size graphics that worked on a limited resolution range before being blurred.
- People's vision has to also be taken into account and shades of gray will not always work.
Vision concerns have to come second it seems. I have been having pen and palm rejection problems since December. This past week or two, Word has been so clunky, I resorted to reinstalling Office. That of course means that my toolbars are all out of size and only grey in colour yet again. I give up. The only plus is that my pen problems have vanished at least. I can now draw smooth lines without splotches appearing.
I have had to rearrange my icons and tabs because they were collapsed instead of expanded as they were, even in desktop/mouse mode.
MS seems not to listen or care.
Brian Reid I agree, simplified icons are probably .svg
it makes since to me, as a web dev myself, I'm trying to develop scalable interface for any device/screen.
plus the icons look great with the windows dark theme, the colors really pop.
SJP363 I get the need for scalable, fair enough. I guess it would look better with a dark theme.
But guess what, not everyone has 40" monitors. Not everyone wants to work with a dark theme. How come we get a choice of theme but not icon colour scheme? Would it be soooo difficult for MS to provide a separate icon set? Way back when, you could use any icon on your sys, or even create your own icon - shock horror! That was when Office really was mine. The many, many toolbars were mine. That was true customization. So many years forward from then, and yet MS have gone so far backwards.
Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe my feelings after so many years of buying and using MS products
I understand the need to make a set of scalable AVAILABLE, and maybe even the default for new installations, is not a bad thing.
Not keeping the old icons available for the Windows native apps and removing even more customization options is simply laziness.
Microsoft was able to create the "simplified" (read as dumbed down) ribbon and allow us to switch back and forth. There was no reason not to leave the old icons and layout available.
