Vision: Reimagining Windows for The Next Billion Users.
Windows’ Start Menu & Taskbar have been core navigation tools since 1995, evolving over decades but accumulating clutter.
(AI was used in research and wireframing stages to accelerate, while design decisions remained entirely human-led.)
Project timeline and Tools
​​A 4-stage sprint blending AI-powered tools with human judgment — from research using Perplexity, to ideation with Stitch, to visual refinement in Figma, guided by ChatGPT for project management and clarity.
Project Timeline: 7 Days
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Tools Used: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Stitch, and Figma.
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Problem statement
Over three decades, Windows’ navigation evolved from a desktop productivity tool to a complex ecosystem. Today, its Start Menu and Taskbar feel heavy, inconsistent, and out of sync with mobile-native expectations.
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Problem Statement : Next billion Windows users struggle with the cluttered Start Menu and nested Taskbar settings during daily app navigation and multitasking, resulting in confusion and inefficient use on both desktop and touch devices.
Strategic Insights & Competitor Analysis
Google vs Microsoft
“Salt in the Recipe”: Google products feel simple and invisible, like salt in a recipe—easy to use, habit-forming, and hard to replace.
Windows 11 is powerful but heavy, creating friction and slowing adoption.
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Built-in Advantage: Windows is already on millions of devices. The challenge isn’t acquisition—it’s retention and usability.
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Lessons from Past Missteps: Windows 8 and Lumia excited users but failed due to heavy UI and mismatched experiences. Modern UX must simplify without alienating existing users.
Takeaway: A lightweight, intuitive redesign can combine Windows’ power + footprint with simplicity—making it indispensable.
Competitor Analysis
Competitor analysis provided actionable insights into user needs, design strengths, and pitfalls found across modern operating systems.
Major learnings centered on mobile-first design, familiar metaphors, and task/navigation patterns validated by leading platforms like ChromeOS, Android, iPadOS, and macOS.
Key Lessons from Competitors​
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Competitors favor search-first navigation
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Icon-based launchers
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Quick-access settings for mobile-first usability
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Minimal menus reduce friction
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While Windows 8 lost users by discarding desktop familiarity, macOS, iPadOS, and Android succeed with hybrid, touch-friendly designs. Apple and Google use cards, flat menus, and tabs to bring smartphone patterns to desktop.
Visual & Interaction Paradigms
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Top OS designs use an 8px grid, 40×40px touch targets, and open icon systems for accessibility.
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Modern typography, scalable icons, glassmorphism, and card layouts create a consistent UX and reinforce the brand across devices.
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The evidence shows that:
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Cluttered layouts and deep settings make simple tasks slower and more frustrating.
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Windows still feels built for desktops, not for today’s mobile-first and hybrid users.​​
Design Rationale
(Disclaimer: All design decisions, ideas, and reasoning in this section were made entirely by me. No AI tools were used at any stage.)
When Microsoft launched Windows 8, the goal was to make Windows touch-friendly. However, the approach failed because it abandoned familiarity instead of bridging it.
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In contrast, my redesign consciously avoided these pitfalls by adhering to four key conditions:
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Lo-Fi Sketches
Before moving to hi-fi designs, I explored multiple directions through low-fidelity sketches. I used AI to generate a variety of layout and interaction ideas, then combined the most relevant suggestions with my own decisions to create new, intuitive concepts.
This process helped me:
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Visualize Start/Home, Search, Taskbar, and Quick Settings layouts.
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Experiment with search-first flows, icon grids, and multitasking interactions.
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Quickly iterate without being distracted by colors or typography.
By blending AI inspiration with human judgment, I could explore more possibilities and select the solutions that felt truly mobile-first and user-friendly.
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Hi-Fi Sketches
After validating core ideas through sketches and low-fi exploration, I moved into high-fidelity screens to bring the new Windows experience to life.
Each interface focuses on clarity, balance, and a mobile-first feel—translating the vision of a “future-ready Windows” into clean visuals, refined spacing, and consistent interaction patterns.
Desktop Screen​​​
Familiar anchors, widgets and cleaner layout. The desktop stays central—powerful yet decluttered for legacy users.
Start menu
Tabs, and flat navigation. Bridges mobile-first simplicity with classic Windows familiarity.
Taskbar
Visible controls, no hidden gestures. Three-dot menus replace right-click, aligning with mobile habits.
Drives and Devices
The old ‘This PC’ window is reimagined as a clean, visual hub with clear storage indicators and easy access actions.
Drives now live directly on the Taskbar—removing redundancy and making system navigation effortless and modern
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Drives and Devices (screen 2)
All connected devices—Bluetooth, displays, and USBs—are managed in one consistent, tabbed interface.
Users can view, eject, or disconnect with a single click, mirroring the simplicity of mobile device settings.
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Recycle bin (onboarding)
Recycling becomes intuitive from the first step—users choose automatic deletion or reminders based on comfort and control. This onboarding turns maintenance into empowerment, aligning with modern systems that teach through simplicity, not clutter.
Recycle bin (Main Screen)
The Bin evolves from a fragile icon into a living system window—clean, always accessible, and self-maintaining.
With auto-clean toggles and categorized history, users gain clarity, confidence, and full ownership over their digital space.
Key Takeaways
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Windows’ Start Menu and Taskbar needed a fresh approach for mobile-first, next-billion users.
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The redesign focuses on clarity, scalability, and a unified, touch-friendly experience.
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Each element — Start, Search, Taskbar, Quick Settings — was reimagined for minimal cognitive load and modern visual balance.
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The project demonstrates strong UI direction, motion thinking, and a recruiter-ready product vision.
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​The final design bridges Windows’ familiar identity with a modern, mobile-native experience for the next generation of users.