The Start menu is Microsoft's flagship user experience. It should represent the very best UI design the company is capable of.
Today I searched for "chrome" in Windows and was shocked by the user experience.
Today I searched for "chrome" in Windows and was shocked by the user experience.
It's just really confusing.
The left side looks like it was created by a designer. We could quibble about some of the design choices, but that's not the story here.
The right side looks like my Internet Explorer toolbars did in 2008.
The left side looks like it was created by a designer. We could quibble about some of the design choices, but that's not the story here.
The right side looks like my Internet Explorer toolbars did in 2008.
Let's start at the top. What is going on with the Web 1.0 Geocities-era banner ad for a "Bing Wallpaper app"?
Honestly, it looks like I was infected by a virus.
The text is misaligned and it's sitting on top of a Windows Vista-era background.
But it gets weirder.
Honestly, it looks like I was infected by a virus.
The text is misaligned and it's sitting on top of a Windows Vista-era background.
But it gets weirder.
Let's zoom in and take a look at the corners of this banner ad.
Top-left is rounded. ✅
Right side is sharp corners. ❌
Bottom-left is... like someone sat on a squircle? 🤷♂️
Top-left is rounded. ✅
Right side is sharp corners. ❌
Bottom-left is... like someone sat on a squircle? 🤷♂️
The bigger issue here though: why are there banner ads in the Start menu?
Is the amount of $ made by this wallpaper app worth cheapening the experience people have in this very high-touch piece of UI?
It erodes trust—I wasn't even searching for "wallpaper."
Which brings me to:
Is the amount of $ made by this wallpaper app worth cheapening the experience people have in this very high-touch piece of UI?
It erodes trust—I wasn't even searching for "wallpaper."
Which brings me to:
Great UI should help people achieve a task with minimum friction.
But the next section down is expressly designed to introduce friction into my experience.
It's the largest UI in the Start menu, and it's designed specifically to distract me away from achieving my intended task.
But the next section down is expressly designed to introduce friction into my experience.
It's the largest UI in the Start menu, and it's designed specifically to distract me away from achieving my intended task.
Down at the bottom is a very confusing and design-challenged toolbar.
It has four buttons, but a salmon-colored Band-Aid that says "Open results in browser" is mostly covering the middle two buttons, so I can't even see what they do.
It has four buttons, but a salmon-colored Band-Aid that says "Open results in browser" is mostly covering the middle two buttons, so I can't even see what they do.
Not only is this "Open results in browser" button misaligned, but it's also shorter than the surrounding buttons, uses a smaller font size, and touches the Download button but not the Web Store button.
The Web Store button, not to be outdone, has its right side clipped off.
The Web Store button, not to be outdone, has its right side clipped off.
And shall we take a look at the corners of this bottom section?
The top corners are rounded. ✅
The bottom-left corner is rounded but the upper "slab" starts to have its curve merge awkwardly with the surface under it. 🤔
And bottom-right? You guessed. Inextricably square. 🤣
The top corners are rounded. ✅
The bottom-left corner is rounded but the upper "slab" starts to have its curve merge awkwardly with the surface under it. 🤔
And bottom-right? You guessed. Inextricably square. 🤣
Design matters. Details matter.
Especially in UI as iconic as the Windows Start menu.
I remember the team creating a special ligature in the Segoe UI font (used in Windows) to make "S" and "t" align beautifully for the word "Start".
That's how important Start was to Microsoft.
Especially in UI as iconic as the Windows Start menu.
I remember the team creating a special ligature in the Segoe UI font (used in Windows) to make "S" and "t" align beautifully for the word "Start".
That's how important Start was to Microsoft.
Microsoft has many brilliant designers who care deeply about the work they do—I worked with many who are still there!
It just comes down to a question of what you prioritize.
User experience needs to be architected with as much intensity as you architect your tech investments.
It just comes down to a question of what you prioritize.
User experience needs to be architected with as much intensity as you architect your tech investments.
By the way, before you ask—I think moving the Start button to the middle of the taskbar wasn't a good move.
Corner location not only had decades of muscle memory but also took perfect advantage of Fitts' Law to make it ideally easy to target.
Worse for mouse, worse for touch.
Corner location not only had decades of muscle memory but also took perfect advantage of Fitts' Law to make it ideally easy to target.
Worse for mouse, worse for touch.
What's Fitts' Law?
If you're interested, I made a video on it last year (including why the previous Start button location was such genius.)
If you're interested, I made a video on it last year (including why the previous Start button location was such genius.)
Less than 24 hours later, pretty impressive speed, Microsoft. Great start! 🙌🏻
https://twitter.com/jensenharris/status/1564736671538884609?s=20&t=-WAZ8i648g-RX1zFJT3hOQ
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