Introducing new Fluent Iconography for Microsoft Edge

[IrinaL]

Three-dimensional rendering of some of the new Fluent icons (Image by Cody Sorgenfrey)

Hello Edge Insider community! 

We recently released the first of many visual updates we have planned for Edge as we modernize and evolve our design language. First, we’re focusing on our core system iconography which hasn’t been updated since the days of our second Microsoft Design Language (MDL2), circa 2014. This has been a Microsoft-wide design initiative and it was important for Edge to be early adopters of the new, open-source Fluent Design System icons which were announced at the 2020 Build conference. This effort covers more than two hundred icons, many of which have been custom made for Edge.

The new icon system builds off the visual design updates first seen in our refreshed Microsoft app icons, which includes the latest Edge logo. We’re now rolling out the first of 2 phases to update the app iconography. This phase will impact many of our high-touch user interfaces, including tabs, address bar, as well as navigational and wayfinding icons found in our various menus. 

Side-by-side comparison of the Edge browser frame with the old and new icons (Image by Cody Sorgenfrey)

There were many reasons we felt this effort was worth our attention, but most notably our motivations were to start modernizing the look & feel of the user interface. The new Fluent iconography system provides functional optimizations for user experience as each icon is based on a standard keyline and grid. This will improve scannability as you browse menus and navigation. We’ve also seen optimized rendering across platforms and devices so no matter which device you’re browsing the web on the icons will appear sharp and easy to read. Lastly, if you’re a Microsoft 365 user you’ll start to see more coherence between Edge and other great products you probably already use, such as Outlook for iOS and Android where these icons are already in use. 

Three-dimensional rendering of a blue refresh icon with rounded caps (Image by Cody Sorgenfrey)

The next phase of this work will cover the remaining product surfaces that aren’t being covered in phase one, which are Developer Tools and our Extension experience. Additional to iconography, we know that there are many elements that represent Fluent design. Over the next few months we’ll be actively exploring ways that we can create a more beautiful, expressive, moving, browsing experiences for all our users. Our goal is to make something unique to browsers, while delivering a modern look and feel that matches Microsoft 365 and our brand personality. We hope you’ll love the new iconography as much as we do, and as always please share your thoughts with us so we can continue to improve and evolve. 

To send us feedback, head to the ... menu in the top right of your browser > Help and feedback > Send feedback.  Or, feel free to leave comments on this post as well.

- Irina Litvin, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Edge

[#2]

@IrinaL 

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@IrinaL wrote:
Thanks for your feedback! What would you like to see?

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I really like to be able to set different colors for each favorite folder. like gray/purple/green/blue/red etc

[#3]

Thanks for clarifying! While implementing that functionality isn't currently on our roadmap, we'd love to know more about how it would be helpful for you. Can you send in feedback through the browser, and in the description detail how this would improve your workflows? The team can review from there!

[#4]

@nlphite  Seems to me it's an approach where they take it one step at a time instead of waiting for everything to be complete.  However, I feel like the transition from Win 7 to 8 never even completed IIRC, so the amount of time it takes seems really rough.

I'd be willing to bet that design committees are changing the goals while the artists are still working on the last set of goals, so they're always playing catchup.  Just a theory.

[#5]

@IrinaL will do that, thank you

[#6]

@HotCakeX @IrinaL 

Spoiler

 

@IrinaL 

@IrinaL wrote:
Thanks for your feedback! What would you like to see?

I really like to be able to set different colors for each favorite folder. like gray/purple/green/blue/red etc

+1 That  would be awesome to identify the folders properly. Currently just a shhityy workaround

[#7]

@IrinaL The new tab icon seems a bit off, like it's transparent. Also it would be great if you can make all the new icons a bit bold because they look very thin and on screens with less resolution than full hd they all look blurry and pixelated. Thanks.

[#8]

@aliasForKam Why would they make a toggle just for icons -_-

[#9]

@YgorCortes I don't think acrylic effect is a part of the new Fluent Design System. So, it won't be coming any time soon.

[#10]

@hussain5416 

Spoiler

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@hussain5416 wrote:

@HotCakeX @IrinaL 

Spoiler

 

@IrinaL 

@IrinaL wrote:
Thanks for your feedback! What would you like to see?

I really like to be able to set different colors for each favorite folder. like gray/purple/green/blue/red etc

+1 That  would be awesome to identify the folders properly. Currently just a shhityy workaround

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Send feedback about it through Edge feedback button please, that's all they care about when prioritizing feature requests, I've been told this by multiple Edge developers. I've already sent 1.

more feedbacks about the same feature means more people want it and they give it higher priority.

[#11]

@Orion01 

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@Orion01 wrote:

@YgorCortes I don't think acrylic effect is a part of the new Fluent Design System. So, it won't be coming any time soon.

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it is part of the Fluent Design system:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/fluent-design-system

and with the new WinUI 3, it will be accessible to Windows apps (Win32 + UWP)

Acrylic material is on the road map

https://github.com/microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml/blob/master/docs/roadmap.md

[#12]

@IrinaL I'm requesting this.

[#13]

Already sent suggestion regarding favorites folders, in great detail

[#14]

Thanks for reporting this! I'll forward this on to our team!

[#15]

@IrinaL Thanks, and I would like to know that any new icon for .htm/.html documents of Edge? I like a specific icon for .htm/.html like IE/Legacy Edge rather than the current big Edge icon same as app.

[#16]

@Orion01 Because Edge needs to be customizable, too! It would be neat and organizable.

[#17]

@IrinaL 

I just noticed, new NTP icon is missing from ntp only when you are online, 

NTP will show newer icon on offline NTP tabs (take a look at screenshots)

Hope it helps.

[#18]

Yes, the folder icon in updated windows 10 start menu is really awesome and if that is the latest from fluent design then team please have that same icon for bookmarks folders also. The updated bookmarks icon is too dull and not modern.

[#19]

@IrinaL  Acrylic and reveal effects are what most people here want. To me, it is a mystery how these are not on the roadmap yet. 

[#20]

All said and done, the new microsoft edge looks nothing like windows 10. 

[#21]

Love the new icons! Rounded things make things look more modern.