Microsoft’s new Fluent illustrations are more 3D and playful

Microsoft is revamping the illustrations it uses in its products and services to make them less flat and more playful and interesting. The previous version of the illustrations was heavily vector-based and featured a flat illustration style found in apps like Microsoft Teams, Skype, Office, and even parts of Windows. Now Microsoft is moving to 3D designs that bring back skeuomorphism, along with more colorful and playful designs.

“Our research showed that while our illustrations could be described as colorful, inclusive, and friendly on the surface, they were perceived as uninteresting and emotionless in consumer culture,” the Microsoft Design team explains in a blog post introducing the new illustrations. “The flat vector style that was once very popular across the industry no longer communicated optimally and potentially evoked ideas and themes that were not aligned with our company values.”

Microsoft's previous illustrations were much flatter and desaturated.
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has now revamped its illustrations, developing a style that “aims to simplify and unify our products with a distinct Microsoft aesthetic.” The result is the integration of many more shapes and icons from Microsoft's Fluent design language with a more saturated color palette.

The 3D illustrations are much more expressive and playful than the flat and desaturated style Microsoft has used in recent years, with an emphasis on soft contours and more curves, shapes and elements that reflect the natural world.

The new Fluent illustrations from Microsoft.
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft's new illustrations should also better complement the accompanying text. “Our previous illustrations often duplicated the accompanying text, causing unnecessary mental effort and occasional confusion,” says Microsoft's design team. “Paying more attention to how our illustrations harmonize with other elements of the user experience could help remedy this.”

Microsoft now uses more generic illustrations across different apps, so there are fewer bespoke illustrations that used to make products look and feel different. “We've also leveraged our Fluent iconography to repeat, reuse and repurpose a series of connected objects,” Microsoft says.

The challenge for Microsoft will now be to update the illustrations across all products and services in the coming months. Microsoft regularly evolves its iconography, illustrations, and the entire Fluent design system, so you can expect to see further refinements to these latest illustrations in the future.

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