14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 10 Creators Update (Redstone 2) is almost here, but users seeking a more substantial UI makeover in the operating system are already envisioning changes that could be part of the Redstone 3 update landing in the fall.
In addition to new features and other improvements, the Windows 10 Redstone 3 update is also expected to come with a UI overhaul called Project NEON, which would include new visual effects and animations that were previously used in the super-popular Windows 7 Aero Glass pack.
Visual tweaks such as blur and transparency could make it to Windows 10 with Redstone 3, and because Microsoft chooses to remain rather tight-lipped on this facelift, concept designers try to imagine what the whole thing would look like using the existing speculation.
This is the case of this People app concept created by Michael West and which uses the said transparency and blur effects for a modern look of the application.
The concept altogether looks very macOS-like, but this is not at all a bad thing, especially because Windows 10 itself needs a modern touch, without losing its identity. This artwork thus mixes existing UI elements, such as the left sidebar and the hamburger menu, with the new visual effects expected to debut in Redstone 3 and Project NEON.
The Redstone 3 update
As far as Redstone 3 is concerned, Microsoft is already working on it and the very first builds are likely to go live shortly after the company ships the final version of the Windows 10 Creators Update.
Bigger changes in Redstone 3 preview builds would only land later this year, while retail users are likely to get the update in the fall, possibly in October or November.
Sources have hinted that Microsoft’s current target is compiling Redstone 3 in late October as version 1711, while the public launch would take place in November. Obviously, these dates could easily change overnight given that Redstone 3 is still in its early days and everything depends on how work on the update advances in the coming months.