Microsoft unveiled a number of new subtle changes that will appear in Windows 10 apps this year. Microsoft is using shadow effects across Fluent Design, alongside modernizing context menus and implementing consistent back button controls in apps.
The changes make for a more refined version of Fluent Design, and should hopefully avoid the somewhat inconsistent implementation of Fluent across Microsoft’s own first-party Windows 10 apps. Third-party app developers will need to adopt the Fluent controls to get access to these newly designed elements in their apps, and even Microsoft will need to bring these to its Windows applications.
Microsoft is even tweaking the back button placement in Windows 10 apps to make it more consistent. At the moment app developers can place a back button within the app, or at the very top, but it’s not always clear for Windows 10 users. The navigation changes for Fluent Design apps also include support for keyboard shortcuts and even the Xbox One controller to navigate around apps.
All of these Fluent Design changes are being introduced this year, allowing developers to take advantage of them in Windows 10 apps. Microsoft is slowly changing the design direction of Windows 10 and modernizing apps in the process