A job advertisement placed by Microsoft at the beginning of the year 2021 in which a Senior Software Engineer for the Windows Core User Experiences team is sought , has given new nourishment to rumors about upcoming modifications to the Windows user interface.

In the original version of the job advertisement, which has since been changed, it said that the engineer in question should work together with Microsoft’s platform, surface and OEM partners on a “comprehensive to initiate visual rejuvenation “of Windows. The revision is intended to signal Microsoft’s customers that Windows is “back” and that customers have the best user experience compared to the competition.

Some US media interpret these formulations as “official confirmation” for a planned revision of Windows 10 User interface. In reality, Microsoft has not yet commented on possible renovation measures, which insiders say are run internally under the project name “Sun Valley”.

Leaked “Sunset Valley” screenshots are intended to give a first impression of possible design / UX – Communicate changes.

(Image: windowslatest.com / Microsoft)

Sun Valley: Possible changes to the user interface US journalists with contacts to Microsoft employees reported back in October 2020 about the “Sun Valley “, which aims to convert the Windows User Interface (Windows UI) of Windows 10. The project is with the Windows Devices and Experiences Team of Panos Panay, Chief Product Officer and responsible for Windows 10 – as well as the Surface Development, settled.

The revision of the Windows 10 start menu, the notification center and the File manager. The goal is a consistent, modern design with improved animations and some new functions. Windows start menu and notification center 10 should therefore be based on experience with the design of these elements in Windows 10 X benefit. Furthermore, an update of the taskbar with more modern program code is planned.

For tablet users we are working on better animations and a “smoother one.” “User experience. The results of at least these efforts can already be seen or tested in the Windows Insider Dev Channel: First Insider Builds show changes to the on-screen keyboard and the emoji selection. There are also indications that Microsoft is aiming for UI elements with rounded corners in apps and in the shell. Continuous support of the dark mode is also still on the agenda.

Release possibly in autumn In view of the pending confirmation from Microsoft, it is currently still open whether, when and in what form “Sun Valley” will ultimately reach the systems. According to rumors, the first drafts could be tested with Windows insiders from February 2021. The release would then probably be expected at the end of the “Cobald” development branch in autumn 2021, which then Windows 10 10 would correspond to H2.

Microsoft’s efforts to redesign the Windows user interface are a constant in the history of the operating system. Some changes in the past were purely cosmetic in nature and were hardly noticeable, but others led to severe collateral damage. The latter includes the renovation work on the Windows search and start menu, which caused severe bugs for months with a striking Windows search or the start menu no longer opening.

Parallel to the “Sun Valley” project should be loud By the way, insiders are running the “Monarch” project, as part of which Microsoft developers are working on a completely new Outlook app. You’ll find more about it here:

(ovw)