During Microsoft’s developer conference in April, the company championed a new development paradigm called the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). The UWP platform is intended to be a one-stop shop for a mobile app, Win32 program, and Web app developer to build multifaceted cross-platform experiences on Windows.
To help Windows users identify a Windows Universal app, Microsoft recently issued design downloads for developers. The design downloads include UWP app design guidelines, PowerPoint templates, Adobe Illustrator templates and Adobe Photoshop templates.
The crux of design guideline elements surround elements of iconography and adjusting for screen resolutions, leaving app developers free to implement older assets created for different platforms while still adhering to Windows specific models.
The collection of PDF’s and templates are free to download and cover a great deal of detail on designing a UWP app. While the downloads do not include information about Microsoft’s app bridging technology, they do have an extensive overview of creating or recreating Windows apps either from scratch or repurposing Windows 8 and 8.1 apps.
With Microsoft’s arguably precarious position in this generation of evolving consumer and business operating system usage, the company is attempting to do everything in its power to keep Windows development as relevant as possible.
