01 March 2024
Microsoft has evolved its design principles to reflect the company's shared vision and adapt to the changing world. The company developed its working design principles over four years ago, reflecting the latest Windows operating system design language. Fluent is an open-source, cross-platform design system for web, iOS, Android, and Windows. To refocus the company's vision, Microsoft refocused on its mission, brand principles, and brand voice.
Check out the source URL to dive deeper into these principles and how they are being applied in practice.
You want to know what to do. Your experiences should adapt to the device you’re on and should build off the familiar, designing for what you already understand.
A layout that adapts to different screen sizes and is aware of the platform it’s on makes an experience feel natural. It also allows us to reuse native platform components and patterns 80 percent of the time, focusing our energy on signature experiences.
You want to stay in the flow. Your experiences should inspire action, drawing you forward, simply and seamlessly.
When technology communicates and performs, it enables people to do what they want on their terms. Our products shouldn’t get in the way. Less visual clutter and noise keeps people centered, calm, and confident.
You want to be included. Your experiences should consider, learn, and reflect a range of perspectives and abilities for the benefit of all.
Including and learning from a variety of people with a range of abilities and perspectives earlier in the design process makes for better solutions. It opens up new possibilities and helps us think more creatively through constraints. Because when you’re included, you feel like you belong.
You want to recognize what you’re looking for. Your experiences should feel like one Microsoft. One moment, one product, one experience at a time.
We focus our energy on signature experiences that connect our products together and give them a distinctively Microsoft feel. From color to sound, illustration to icons, these signature experiences increase brand recognition and familiarity.
You want to know what to do. Your experiences should adapt to the device you’re on and should build off the familiar, designing for what you already understand.
A layout that adapts to different screen sizes and is aware of the platform it’s on makes an experience feel natural. It also allows us to reuse native platform components and patterns 80 percent of the time, focusing our energy on signature experiences.
You want to stay in the flow. Your experiences should inspire action, drawing you forward, simply and seamlessly.
When technology communicates and performs, it enables people to do what they want on their terms. Our products shouldn’t get in the way. Less visual clutter and noise keeps people centered, calm, and confident.
You want to be included. Your experiences should consider, learn, and reflect a range of perspectives and abilities for the benefit of all.
Including and learning from a variety of people with a range of abilities and perspectives earlier in the design process makes for better solutions. It opens up new possibilities and helps us think more creatively through constraints. Because when you’re included, you feel like you belong.
You want to recognize what you’re looking for. Your experiences should feel like one Microsoft. One moment, one product, one experience at a time.
We focus our energy on signature experiences that connect our products together and give them a distinctively Microsoft feel. From color to sound, illustration to icons, these signature experiences increase brand recognition and familiarity.
