Microsoft has explored numerous concept designs for its redesigned Start menu in Windows 11. This month, the company is introducing a wider Start menu that allows users to disable the recommended feed of files and apps. However, the final design could have looked quite different, as revealed in concept images shared by Microsoft.
In a blog post discussing the redesign process, Microsoft showcased five alternative concepts that could have significantly changed the Start menu’s functionality. One design features a more rounded menu with widget-like capabilities and a dedicated “For You” section for Teams meetings, YouTube videos, and recently used files.
Another concept places the “For You” section on the side, focusing the main menu on app categories. A different prototype imagines the Start menu as a landing page, complete with shortcuts, apps, files, and sections for accessing Android devices and personalized app lists. One bold concept even suggests a full-screen Start menu with vertically scrollable sections.
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The Windows design team noted, “Whiteboards, Figma frames, floor-to-ceiling paper prototypes—nothing was too scrappy.” They created numerous layouts, allowing for creative exploration before refining their ideas.
Microsoft tested these designs with over 300 Windows 11 fans, utilizing eye-tracking heat maps and feedback from co-creation calls to gauge user reactions. The redesigned Start menu aims to improve app visibility, customization, and speed while respecting three decades of user familiarity.
The new menu, which is larger and more customizable, will let users remove the recommended feed, a feature many will appreciate. The phone companion panel is also integrated for easy access to recent calls, messages, and files.
Microsoft is currently testing the new Start menu with Windows Insiders and plans to roll it out to all Windows 11 users in the coming months.
SOURCE: THE VERGE
