Microsoft to Overhaul Windows 11's Old Interface Design Language, Unifying the Installation Interface
Windows has long been criticized for its inconsistent design language, due to its historical baggage and Microsoft's frequent shifts in design frameworks. However, this situation is expected to improve significantly in the future: Microsoft has confirmed it will "target" almost all interface elements within the system, even the rarely seen "Installing Windows 11" installation interface.
The current "Installing Windows 11" interface primarily appears when users reinstall the system using the Media Creation Tool or the setup.exe from an ISO image. This interface isn't particularly unattractive and rarely directly impacts user experience, but its visual style isn't fully aligned with the overall design direction of Windows 11. While Microsoft has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to refining Windows 11's appearance, many believed that infrequently appearing interfaces wouldn't be a short-term priority. However, Microsoft Design Director March announced on the social platform X that this installation interface has been added to their design optimization list, but is temporarily behind other UI polishing projects due to being "rarely seen," but the team "will eventually address it."
On the surface, this is just a minor interface update, but given Microsoft's past attitude, it carries a certain significance. Historically, Microsoft hasn't invested much effort in the visual consistency of underlying components and various uncommon system interfaces, let alone "cleaning them up one by one." Now, Microsoft is extending its focus to low-frequency entry points like the installer, indicating a changing attitude towards unifying the overall Windows 11 experience. The design team hopes to bring even "interfaces in the corners" under the overall standards.
Although Windows 11's visuals have improved significantly compared to earlier versions, many "legacy interfaces" are still scattered throughout the system. In certain scenarios, users may still encounter interfaces from the Windows 8 era, such as on the lock screen or in parts of the Settings app. Delving into the Control Panel and other legacy management entry points may even bring up dialog boxes with a style clearly belonging to the Windows 3.1 era, creating a sense of "temporal dislocation." The article points out that as long as the Control Panel and its related legacy dialog boxes still handle a large number of advanced functions, Microsoft's progress towards design unification will be incomplete.
Microsoft has previously stated that it will first address multiple design issues within the Windows Settings app and gradually replace the Control Panel based on this. This isn't just a matter of unifying interface styles, but also involves operational logic and usability: currently, in many cases, the number of clicks required to complete a task in the Control Panel is significantly less than in the Settings app. Microsoft is aware of this pain point and therefore hesitates to remove the Control Panel before significantly optimizing the Settings app experience.
In terms of functionality, the Control Panel still hosts a large number of legacy drivers and configuration options related to networks and printers, many of which haven't yet been migrated to the Settings app. Microsoft's design lead on X stated that they must be extremely careful during the migration process, as even a slight mistake could cause multiple functions to fail, especially impacting enterprise users and developers who rely on older terminals or protocols. Once compatibility issues arise in these critical scenarios, Microsoft will not only face reputational pressure but also potentially affect the stability and upgrade willingness of enterprise deployments.
For this reason, Microsoft has adopted a strategy of "fixing the new interface first, then considering phasing out the old interface" in promoting unified design. Specific measures include: optimizing the information hierarchy and interaction flow of the Settings app, gradually extracting key configurations from the Control Panel and reconstructing them in the Settings app, while maintaining comprehensive compatibility testing. Under this approach, from the installation interface to the lock screen, from Settings to underlying dialog boxes, are all future targets for the design team to "finish."
The article's author believes that Microsoft's statements and actions on design this time may represent a step forward for Windows 11 towards a "unified and modern" visual and interactive direction. If Microsoft can complete the migration of functions from legacy components like the Control Panel without "annoying" advanced users and enterprise customers, and combine this with cleaning up scattered old interfaces, the overall look and feel and usability of Windows 11 could be significantly improved. The author also poses a question to readers at the end: which part of the Windows 11 interface do you most hope Microsoft will fix first? The goal is to collect feedback and pass these requests on to the Microsoft team.