New taskbar style
Image: (Top: Winsupersite) (Bottom: Microsoft Design)
The new taskbar is a thinner and has a far more transparent background. The application buttons are thinner and wider, with a faint white border. The ‘hover’ state sports a trendy blue gradient button that reminds me of the new Vista Media Center style, also the Live Preview no longer reports the name of the application on top. Overall, a subtle change over the current design, but makes the taskbar more aesthetically pleasing and cleaner. Also on a side note, there are two new icons on in the Quick Launch bar, Show Desktop (left) and Flip 3D (right).
New button styles
Image: (Left: Microsoft Vista) (Middle: Winsupersite)
It has a softer border with some outer shadows, as well as a lighter gradient on the back. The default select state has a cool blue inner glow. It is another subtle change, but makes the buttons far more attractive than before.
Updated start menu style
Image: (Left: Microsoft Design) (Right: Winsupersite)
The differences here is pretty big. The text is a lot smaller, thus allowing them to fit more into less space, as seen on the right. Also the search bar is thinner with a dropdown-enabled search icon. The power icon has been changed, and background changed to red. Also, various application’s icons has been updated.
New Office 2007 icons
Image: (Microsoft Design)
Color-coded glossy icons with a curved edge on the top left, featuring fairly recognizable icons for each of the products. A nice move away from the big square we have today.
If this is a sign of whats to come in Vista RC1, then I’m extremely enthusiastic about how polished it may be!
Also check out: Updated Office ‘north-west’ corner UI.
Comments for "New Vista UI updates & Office icons"
Anon
Loving the new Office icons!
Jim Laski
Wow, this is looking nice… although the changes (except the O12 icons) are subtle.
johndotcom
your unknown office icon would appear to be the icon for Groove
Phi
The icon labeled ‘SharePoint’ will be for Groove 2007, I think,and the ‘Unknown’ will most likely be Communicator.
Rd
Why are the older screenshots (esp. the start menu) lower quality than the new ones. Can we get an unbaised comparison w/o cheap tricks like a blurry “old” image and a sparkling new one?
Chris Adams
The sharepoint icon is probably groove.
The Unknown icon looks like a gannt chart. Project perhaps?
Justin
I agree that the unknown icon is most likely Project. I also like the new Start bar; as it looks a lot cleaner and smoother than the previous build release one
pikablu0530
I don’t think the Power buttons have been changed? The “Yellow” one simply is the icon for “Standby” or “Hibernate”, and the Red one is “Shut Down”. There is no changes between the new and the old in terms of colour and the actual button. You can change it in any build by going to Power options in Control Panel.
Imran
Hello Dude,
I like to correct you for the Power Icon, the one you have put ofr build 5456 is the same for the new start menu.
I am on one
Jote
Hold it right there. What you’re writing about is a bunch of concept artwork for Vista, not actual screenshots, I’m afraid. My guess is we won’t be seeing these changes happen.
Long Zheng
No, these are actual screenshots from an interim internal build of Windows Vista. These are changes that have been already applied.
Shahn Hogan
The icon labeled “Money?” is more than likely Small Business Accounting. Especially since Money is not an office application.
Jote
Fair enough Long - I hope you’re right then!
Alex
Looks like the icon on the Quick Launch bar on the right might be the new icon for Media Center.
Alex
Oops never mind, Flip 3D it is.
maregt
Does anyone knows where I can download these icons (office 12)
Long Zheng
@Maregt
Unofficially people have been reproducing them as ICO files straight from the JPG posted on the website, however these are lower quality and unpolished.
I would presume the new icons will make an appearance in the next beta build of Office 2007.
ikyouCrow
nice post man, but the power button thing is a little different than you suggest.
the states and colours of the power button changes depending on how it’s configured.
if it was setup as a shutdown, it will appear red with the full circle, but as hibernate it will appear as the broken circle. this can be adjusted in power management.
ddw
Notice that the curved-box behind the applications look very much like the packaging design for the Windows Vista versions.
Dino
Is there download of these office icons, help please.
The Insider by Sidebar Geek
UI Changes for Windows Vista for RC1?
Long Zheng pointed his post out to me today on some very interesting things coming for Windows Vista
The Insider by Sidebar Geek
New Product Icons for Office 2007
Long Zheng also lets me know of new 2007 Microsoft Office System Product Icons coming! These are also
Neowin Wannabe! » Blog Archive » New Vista UI Updates and Office Icons
[...] View: Screenshots of the new improvements View: Additional Screenshots of the upcoming interim build 5466! Explore posts in the same categories: Microsoft, Windows Vista [...]
Windows Observer » Blog Archive » In and Around the Net – 12 July 06 Edition
[...] New Office 2007 Icons – View article… [...]
Robert McLaws: FunWithCoding.NET - Windows Vista Edition
Hints of Windows Vista RC1 & Office Interface Changes
There was an enormous jump in build numbers between Beta 2 (5384) and the latest interim build (5456)….
Dude, where’s my Aero Diamond? at istartedsomething
[...] The future of Aero Diamond looks bleak. It will be highly unlikely for Aero Diamond to make an appearance in Windows Vista. With so much effort being put into Aero Glass, even if Aero Diamond was being worked on, the development schedule will not accommodate for beta testing of Aero Diamond if Vista is still slated for release in January 2007. Having said that, there is still hope. The initiative to create a ‘better’ user experience in the first place will continue even if the visual style is abolished. And since we’re still in the beta phase, Aero Glass can still change. With already some of those changes taking place, Aero Glass itself can transform into an extremely polished and usable visual style. [...]
Nouvelle interface Vista et Office 2007 icons at Minaddikts, The log
[...] Source : istartedsomething [...]
Windows Vista Download - » Blog Archive » Hints of Windows Vista RC1 & Office Interface Changes
[...] Brandon points to Long Zheng, who compares screenshots from Microsoft Design’s Windows page with screenshots from Beta 2 builds to draw the conclusion that more UI goodness is on the way for RC1.While I agree with some of the comments that the Start Menu looks a bit more cluttered now, most of the other changes are real solid. And I love the new Office 2007 icons too. They’re edgy…3 edges to be exact. I’ve never seen Microsoft do an icon style like that before. [...]
Windows Vista RC1 Branching at istartedsomething
[...] I think their reason to have a separate RC1/RTM branch as opposed to a single branch is because they are going to be adding new ‘features’ in to RTM that will not be shown in RC1. I know Microsoft said Beta 2 was “feature lock-down”, that no more features would be added post-Beta 2, but the definition of ‘features’ can be fairly broad. For example, the new system sounds are yet to be included in 5536, yet they are definitely a ‘feature’. If my assumptions are correct, then the slightly updated Aero Glass UI could even appear after RC1. [...]
Office 2007 icons and SKUs at istartedsomething
[...] My friend Scott Savage has acquired himself a copy of the Office 2007 Beta 2 Technical Refresh, Build 4228. He has discovered all of the new Office icons I’ve talked about months ago has been implemented in this build. I was right in some areas identifying what each icons represented, but wrong in others. He also have some of the file-type icons for the appropriate documents. [...]