14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has put a lot of effort into refreshing the Microsoft Office icons with a modern touch, and now that the company is getting ready to release them to users, it’s also providing users with more information on how they came to be.
Videos that were published on the website of the company that Microsoft worked with for this redesign, Tendril, show how the designers actually ended up making the Office icons look more modern without losing the familiar factor that makes it easy for users to recognize them.
The new icons, which are projected to be released to users in the near future as part of the Microsoft Office overhaul, aligns with the modern design language called Fluent Design and which the software giant is pushing across its products.
Fluent Design includes many modern elements, like the visual effect called acrylic, and it made its debut on Windows 10.
New icons for all platforms
The facelift is now a key part of the refined Windows 10 experience, and has gradually expanded to other products, including the Office suite.
“Simplicity and harmony are key visual elements that reflect the seamless connectivity and intuitiveness of Office apps. While each icon has a unique and identifiable symbol, there are connections within each app’s symbol and the collective suite,” Jon Friedman, Head of Microsoft Office design, explains.
The new icons will be used across all platforms where Microsoft Office is available, and these include not only desktop, but also mobile devices running Android and iOS. This is without a doubt a welcome approach, especially as Microsoft is very committed to delivering timely updates for the Office productivity suite on other platforms too.
The previous icon refresh for Office was rolled out in 2013 and it comes at a time when several other Microsoft products are being restyled with similar visual refinements.