Microsoft made various modification to the application's UI

May 9, 2012 15:24 GMT  ·  By
Microsoft will deliver interface changes in Visual Studio 11 Release Candidate
   Microsoft will deliver interface changes in Visual Studio 11 Release Candidate

Early next month, Microsoft will make available for download the Release Preview version of Windows 8 (aka the Release Candidate flavor), which might be accompanied by a new version of Visual Studio 11.

Some suggest that the Redmond-based software giant would be readying the RC flavor of the upcoming Visual Studio, most probably set to arrive as Visual Studio 2012, at for the same time frame as Windows 8 Release Preview, and that there will be various changes brought to its interface.

The near-final build of Visual Studio’s next version hasn’t been confirmed for the next weeks as of yet, but ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley suggests that things might indeed turn out this way.

One thing that is certain, however, is the fact that there will be UI modifications included in the RC flavor of the software, as Microsoft themselves confirmed in a recent blog post authored by Monty Hammontree – director of user experience, Microsoft Developer Tools Division.

The company notes that these changes are made based on the feedback received from those who have been trying the beta release of Visual Studio.

“With the release of Visual Studio 11 Beta back in February of this year, we introduced changes to the user experience based on two core design principles, the first being to give you more space for your content and the second being to draw more focus to that content,” Hammontree explains.

“Since the debut of these changes there’s been significant community response and feedback. We’ve taken this feedback and based on what we heard have made a number of changes planned for Visual Studio 11 RC.”

He explains that the changes made in Visual Studio 11 RC have been centered around three main aspects: a more visual “energy” and contrast, a more balanced application of Metro styling, and greater icon clarity and differentiation through the use of color.

Specific details on each of these, along with screenshots to exemplify the transition from Beta to Release Candidate can be found in the aforementioned blog post.

What remains to be seen is to what extent the Windows 8 Release Preview build will also pack UI changes in line with those included in Visual Studio, since users have also been offering feedback on their experience with Windows 8 Consumer Preview for the past few months.