Microsoft is trying out a new way to gain feedback from Windows 10 users by using a new sort of online quest for them to complete.
In it, they present two potential ideas for a new look for Windows 10’s notifications. Both feature a slightly new location on the far right of the Taskbar (which looks pretty good) but the main difference is the appearance of new icons which define which app the notifications are for. For example, when an Xbox notification is present, and Xbox icon will be used and when a Facebook notification is awaiting an action, a Facebook icon will be used.
The difference between the two options is that the first incorporates smaller icons over the existing notification icon while the second replaces that icon completely with larger app icons.
According to an entry in the Feedback Hub app (which is available to Windows Insiders), the main purpose of the redesign is as follows:
- Make incoming notifications subtly more present
- Move the Action Center icon to the corner, shifting the clock by one spot, so it isn’t buried in a sea of other icons. Note: the show-desktop “sliver” does not move [Symbol]
- Make the Action Center icon easier to click
- Add color in a delightfully subtle and ephemeral way
- Give you a sense of number of incoming notifications
- Help determine when opening Action Center is relevant by giving a sense of which application just sent a notification
- Create an alternative option for those that want a quieter solution than toast notifications while still having a visual cue that a new notification has arrived
Users who want their voice heard can vote on their preferred choice in a new survey which also gives the option to vote against a redesign or to incorporate an option to disable it.
Do you like these new ideas or would you like something else done to Windows 10’s Notifications? Let us know in the comments below.
