Not too long after Google revamped its Gmail, Microsoft has now redesigned its Office productivity apps for a more streamlined design and simplicity.
Office 365 apps such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel should now be easier to use following the redesign, and the changes should be particularly useful for users with disabilities.
"Beginning today, millions of people who use Office at home and work will begin to see some welcome changes designed to deliver a balance of power and simplicity," says Microsoft. "These updates are exclusive to Office.com and Office 365 - the always up-to-date versions of our apps and services."
Customer-Centric Microsoft Office Apps
Microsoft highlights that its Office apps are customer-centric, and its design team worked closely with customers to find out how they use the apps and how they could improve.
The new Office redesign brings three major changes to search, the ribbon toolbar, as well as icons and colors. The revamped design will start rolling out to both business customers and consumers this month.
Microsoft Office Word Ribbon Redesign
The ribbon in Microsoft office, meaning the toolbar at the top, has been cluttered with a slew of buttons for several years. With the revamped design, the ribbon is now significantly smaller, aiming to make it easier for users to focus on what they have to do and boost productivity.
Users will also be able to pin various features to the ribbon just like they pin apps to the Windows start menu, so they can have shortcuts for what they use most often.
Not everyone might appreciate the smaller ribbon, however, but those who don't like it can always revert to the previous three-line view to expand the ribbon.
Microsoft Office Apps Get New Colors And Icons
Microsoft also added new colors and icons across the Office apps, designed as scalable graphics so that they look good on all screens regardless of size. The changes aim to deliver a more modern design, as well as make the apps more accessible to people with disabilities.
Microsoft Office Apps Search
The redesign also brings changes to Search, making it more prominent and improving the user experience by allowing users to quickly access content, commands, and people.
The new Search box in the Office apps and website will now offer automatic suggestions of files and people based on usage, with suggestions varying by apps. Microsoft calls this "zero query search" because it offers AI-powered suggestions when placing the cursor in the search box.
To get a better idea of the changes coming to Microsoft's Office apps, check out the video below.
