Microsoft Promises Fluent Iconography in Edge
Microsoft today said that it will update the core system iconography in its Edge web browser to utilize the Fluent Design System. But it unforgivably didn’t provide even a single image demonstrating what this might look like.
“First, we’re focusing on our core system iconography which hasn’t been updated since the days of our second Microsoft Design Language (MDL2), circa 2014,” Microsoft’s Irina Litvin writes in the announcement post. “This has been a Microsoft-wide design initiative and it was important for Edge to be early adopters of the new, open-source Fluent Design System icons which were announced at the 2020 Build conference. This effort covers more than two hundred icons, many of which have been custom made for Edge.”
Over 200 icons, nice. I’d love to see some of them. Unfortunately, this post doesn’t provide a single screenshot or image depicting these new icons in Edge. Instead, it has three illustrations, one drawn by hand, depicting what some of the icons will look like. Sort of.
For example:
The new icons will be added to Edge in two phases, Litvin says. In phase one, which is now rolling out, Microsoft will replace “high-touch user interfaces, including tabs, address bar, as well as navigational and wayfinding icons found in our various menus.” In phase two, Microsoft will address the remaining icons, including those found in the product’s Developer Tools and Extension experiences.
“Our goal is to make something unique to browsers, while delivering a modern look and feel that matches Microsoft 365 and our brand personality,” Litvin adds.
That sounds great. I’d love to see it.