Microsoft's journey to redesign the Windows 11 Start menu was marked by a series of innovative concepts, many of which were ultimately set aside in favor of a more streamlined approach. The Windows design team recently unveiled several of these early prototypes, offering a glimpse into the creative process that shaped the final product.
One of the discarded designs featured a rounded Start menu incorporating widget-like tiles and a "For You" section. This personalized area aimed to surface relevant content such as Teams meetings, YouTube suggestions, and recent documents, providing users with a dynamic and tailored experience. Another concept focused on an app-category-centric layout, with the "For You" feed positioned to the side, allowing for a more organized display of applications.
A particularly ambitious prototype transformed the Start menu into an immersive landing page. This design combined app shortcuts, recent files, creative tools, and seamless integration with Android devices, effectively creating a centralized hub for user activities. One bold vision even expanded the Start menu to occupy the screen's vertical space, enabling users to scroll through segmented sections in a completely reimagined interface.
The design team employed a variety of methods to explore these ideas, including whiteboards, Figma frames, and extensive paper prototypes. This exploratory phase allowed them to "go wild and discover new things before applying the editorial pen," as noted by the team.
To refine the final design, Microsoft engaged with over 300 Windows 11 enthusiasts through user testing, co-creation sessions, and behavior analysis. Techniques such as eye-tracking heat maps and monitoring user interactions provided valuable insights into user preferences and behaviors.
The finalized Start menu emphasizes ease of access, personalization, and respect for long-standing user habits. Microsoft's goal was not to completely reinvent the Start menu but to enhance its customizability and speed while honoring "three decades of muscle memory." The new design is currently being tested with Windows Insiders, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months.
In addition to these developments, Microsoft is experimenting with new layouts for the "All Apps" section of the Start menu. Recent Windows 11 preview builds include early work on a "Category" view, which organizes apps into groups such as Productivity, Photo & Video, News & Weather, and Entertainment. This approach is reminiscent of the App Library found on iOS and iPadOS, aiming to streamline app navigation. Another layout under consideration is an alphabetized grid view, offering a more traditional app drawer experience. Users will have the option to switch between these layouts, providing flexibility to suit individual preferences.
These ongoing experiments reflect Microsoft's commitment to evolving the Windows 11 Start menu based on user feedback and modern design principles. By balancing innovation with familiarity, the company aims to create an interface that is both functional and intuitive for its diverse user base.
Source: The Hans India Microsoft Unveils Scrapped Concepts for Windows 11’s Start Menu Redesign
