Win9 - Some New Apps [Concept]

Hey!

I decided to make two posts since I didn't want to make one really long one. These are just a couple apps (OneDrive, Word, and Task Manager) and How I think that they should work. There is definitely too much blue in these concepts... I didn't realize that until I was finished. I think that I should have made the OneDrive/File Explorer app with a slight grey navigation pain instead of a blue one... Oh well!

• I believe that File explorer/OneDrive needs a makeover as well. In this mockup I’ve done my best combine the touch-based version of SkyDrive with the desktop File Explorer
• If this works right it would definitely show that both interfaces can coexist peacefully.

 

 

• You can bring up the menu by swiping down from the top. Also this can be pinned to make it more like the desktop version.

• By swiping on the ribbon, you can bring up the other menus (file, share, and view).

• I like the idea of having tabs in the app because everything is full screen now (at least in this concept). I ultimately decided to have them be at the top and not at the bottom like in IE just because I figured that the majority of people who would use them would be using a mouse and keyboard.
• (Looking back at the pictures now, I think that the "File, Home, Share, View" list is way to large and out of scale...)

 

 

• This just shows the ribbon minimized, but the tabs and  address bar are still visible.
 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Here is a quick mock up of a Word mobile app. I really love the simplicity of the OneNote app and I think that it should be continued throughout the entire Office Suite.
• For Word, I think that it should just be that.... Words. I really like having the whole page be full screen so it's just me and the content of the paper...
• I also made a quick copy of the floating dot thing… (whatever you call it) I find it incredibly useful in OneNote, especially since you can quickly do swipe gestures on it to copy/past/bold and other functions.
• Also, I read somewhere about how Microsoft should make its office suite modular or something like that. Basically, everyone can get a simple word editor for free. Then if you want more advanced functions you can pay for different expansion packs that would add different functionality to your version of office. I don’t know how this would work, but it caught my interest and I thought it would be interesting to mention here. What do you guys think?

 

 

 

 

• This shows the ribbon visible at the top (Sorry, but I got kind of lazy with the ribbon this time and just use the current one. I think that it might look better with the same style as the File Explorer ribbon.)

• As with the File Explorer/OneDrive, it would be pinnable.

 

 These are just a few of my takes on certain apps. What's your input?

 

1. Do you think that the apps are too simple/complex to run on touch/desktop computers? Or are they just right and include just about everything for the best of both worlds?

2. Also, what do you think of the ribbons? I believe that they are incredibly useful and can be implemented to be used for both touch and nontouch devices.

 

Thanks for your input!

More Win9 [Concept]

Hello!

A while back I posted some concept images that I had made for Windows9/8.2 here. I will continue some of my ideas with the following images: Enjoy!

• In these images I moved the taskbar from the bottom to the left side just to see what it would look like.
• Also putting the first app at the top would play nicely with the transitions between apps with the top left hot corner as it is currently in Windows 8.

• I thought that it would be important to keep the Start button at the bottom left corner because that’s where it always is in metro now.
• (I thought it would be kind of confusing to some users if sometimes it showed up at the to and other times it showed at the bottom.)

• Here I showed  how apps can be switched between a cascaded mode and a “reel” mode.

• I find that I use most apps in full screen mode, even on the desktop. I think that using apps on a reel would be perfectly functional.

 

• Lastly I came up with what a more complicated multitasking concept would look like.
• Basically you would drag and drop windows together to make a desired configuration of apps. Then you could use a two finger swipe to the top of the screen to maximize it.

Please let me know what you think!

1. Also, what do people have to say about windows not being able to cascade on the desktop? Would you miss that ability. Personally, I would not. I think I’d be okay with windows being on a line so they didn’t overlap.

2. With respect to #1 what do you think about the departure of this desktop from the current version of the desktop? Does it go too far or does it seem reasonable since the desktop needs some improving anyway?

 

Win9 - Desktop+Metro Assimilation

After reading several posts and comments I have determined that people are torn in different directions about what they want Windows 8.2/9 (do we even know officially??) to be. People want more desktop while others want more metro/touch interface. I have done my best to combine them here. (A lot of inspiration came from Windows 9 by Jerry Jappinen, here)

1. This concept starts with the TASKBAR (or the superbar if you want to call it that).

• Use bottom left hot corner to reveal the taskbar with mouse (or use the bottom right).
• This will reveal the classic taskbar in all its glory.

2. Taskbar and Jumplists

• Jump lists will work just like normal (Word app) and will be improved with notification-center-like links (Mail app).
• I think that Windows doesn't need a notification center. Watching tiles works fine for me. I don't need to know that every app on my computer has been updated...

3. Charms

• Use top and bottom right hot corners to reveal charms, just like normal with mouse.  
• The charms bar will work just like it does in 8.1 now. I moved the date and time onto this bar. I liked how large it was in 8.1, but it looks just a little awkward I think out on the left side on its own. I put it here to blend in and be in the exact same spot as on the taskbar.

4. "Shrinking" and app switching

• Hover top right to reveal minimize, max, and close buttons. Clicking these will do exactly what they should.
• Press the maximize or minimize with mouse or swipe down half way from top to open the new windows “desktop.” The app will "shrink" to a slightly smaller windowed mode.
• Swiping in and out will also reveal the new desktop (currently this brings up the app switcher. In a way this is simply a new app switcher integrated with the desktop). Swiping in once will change the app like normal.

5. The new Desktop

The new desktop will be everything that the old desktop was and more. It will have the taskbar and all windows that are open will appear like cards (this is for touch users to scroll through them, then desktop users can use the taskbar.)

• Opening the new “desktop” will show all open applications (both metro and desktop) and it will reveal the taskbar below.
• The background will be the image or design chosen for the start screen. 
• Hovering over the top right of a window will reveal the min, max, close buttons.
• Clicking on or “pinching apart” the black bar between two snapped windows will cause them to separate.
• Instead of a separate desktop app, all programs and apps will automatically all be shown equally on the same level.
• Two apps can be rearranged next to each other and pinched together to automatically snap them together. They can then both be slid to the top of the screen where they will be maximized. (I didn't come up with a picture for it (but I may add one later), but I think it would be a cool idea if you could click and drag windows on top of each other so they snap together bottom to top as well.)

 

• The taskbar can be pinned to the bottom.  It displays all open and minimized apps.

• Clicking and dragging an app upward and to the side will cause it to snap to that side.

• Dragging an app to the bottom and quickly letting go will minimize it, while holding it at the bottom will close it.
• Dragging an app to the top will maximize it.

• Scrolling all the way to the right reveals the blank desktop, with files, and icons if you have anything there (sorry, I couldn't find any good metro icons...)

6. Start

 

 

• The start screen will behave almost exactly like it does now in Windows 8.1; however, swiping up from the bottom will bring up the taskbar.  Also, I think that it would be sweet if pressing and holding an app on the start screen would open a jumplist for that app much like the jumplists on the taskbar.
• I'm sure that Microsoft could think of some additional improvements for the Start Screen.

Please let me know what you think. I understand that there are a lot of gaps, but this is a pretty good start at combining the two interfaces permanently. Thanks!