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And a completely new design is ideal for that

This is the latest version of the Windows operating system, with a new interface and other new features like the new Microsoft Store, a new AI-powered personalized feed, and best-in-class browser performance from Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams chat integrated into the taskbar, and many more! ​ What’s new in Windows 11: — Windows 11 will get a completely new design. Microsoft clearly needs a good reason to go back on its past claims and abandon Windows 10 by introducing a new operating system number. The Redmond giant has long been preparing a redesign for an update with the code name Sun Valley («Sun Valley») — apparently, under this name it was Windows 11. The Sun Valley project flashed on the network for a long time — Microsoft regularly leaked details of the new interface style, insiders shared previously unknown information, and designers popular in their circles drew realistic concepts based on all this data.

— Start and system elements will float above the bottom bar

Start is the business card and face of every recent version of Windows. Not surprisingly, in Windows 11, developers will transform it again, but not so much in functional terms as in visual terms — the Start window will float above the bottom bar. We must admit that this small change makes the appearance of the system much fresher. Judging by the information from the network, Microsoft will not radically change the «interiors» of this menu — innovations will affect only the design of the window itself. The control panel will also float and its design will be exactly the same as that of the “Start”.

— Right angles will disappear, they will be replaced by fillets

The action center will be combined with the control buttons together — a similar one has long been used in some other operating systems. Almost all mentions of this new menu indicate that it will be insular — the control buttons will be located on a separate panel, notifications will be on another, and specific elements (like a player) on another separate one. In truth, insiders and concept designers disagree on this — some are convinced that Microsoft will not change its traditions and will keep right angles, while others are convinced that in 2021 Microsoft will follow the fashion for fillets. The latter better fits the definition of “completely new Windows” — just hovering over the menus is not enough for a new design to be considered truly new. The nets should affect almost everything in the system, from context menus and system panels to all application windows.

— There will be a translucent background with blur everywhere

True, even on this issue, the opinions of concept designers differ — some draw nets in all possible interface elements, others combine them with right angles. There is disagreement on the Web about the style of displaying island windows, the design of corners and the effect of levitating the menu, but almost everyone is unanimous about the transparency of windows. The vast majority of leaks and design renders show transparency and blur in all windows, be it at least the Start menu or Explorer. Moreover, these effects are present even in the assembly of the canceled Windows 10X operating system, which Microsoft was developing for dual-screen devices and weak gadgets in parallel with the Sun Valley project. The so-called acrylic transparency involves the use of new effects when hovering over elements, as well as increased spacing between elements — the areas of the interface with which the user interacts will certainly become larger, and the page titles will be thickened.

— New font that has already been shown

Windows 11 will most likely use the default responsive font Segoe UI Variable, which has already appeared in Windows 10 Build 21376 for Insiders. Its advantage is that it is suitable for both small texts and large inscriptions.