Microsoft Is Getting Slammed For These Windows 10 Icon Designs
There's a lot to like about Windows 10, with one very big exception: its icon sets. For many, the first glimpse at the icons produced a sort of visceral disgust. The design had regressed notably, with some likening it to Windows XP-level quality, except worse because they were paired with Windows 10's otherwise beautiful design. Users were quick to voice their harsh criticism about the icons, so much so that Microsoft has pushed out some revised versions about which it is actively seeking feedback. The problem is that they're not much better.
At the heart of this icon-design rage is the Windows 10 Recycle Bin, which in its first iteration was round and flat, being similar enough to the Windows 8 version to feel old while also being ugly enough in general to evoke incredulous responses from early users. The icons are also starkly poor in contrast to the new design flavor to which Windows is conforming — as the OS itself becomes increasingly modern and sleek, the icons have never looked more dated.
Of course, things are still early in the Windows 10 world, and so there's nothing to say that these were the final icons intended to be in the final Windows 10 build. That didn't temper the outcries, however, and so Microsoft has decided to rehash the icon sets, tweaking and updating them for its Feedback Lab where it is explicitly looking for user opinions on what the icons should look like. The newer icons are shown below:
There are some notable changes — the Recycle Bin is now angular instead of round and not so flat. The folders aren't opened toward the user any longer, and everything looks a little more polished in terms of shininess. And the result is that users have lowered their pitchforks a little, but only a little. There's still a lot of criticism about the icons in relation to the rest of Windows 10's design, and many are hoping that Microsoft will decide to overhaul them entirely.
What do you think of the new icons? Drop us a comment!
Icons image via @BAV0