Microsoft's emojigate shows why Windows 11 will never have a unified design

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft's emojigate popped upwards in the news again later on lying dormant for a few months. It looks like Microsoft may bring 3D emoji to Windows 11 afterward all. The perplexing saga of emojigate includes blog posts, marketing materials, and project leaders from Microsoft contradicting each other. It's drawn a surprising amount of passion and criticism. The latest chapter serves every bit a reminder of Microsoft's track record of mixed messages and poor communication. It besides illustrates that the visitor struggles to evangelize a unified vision beyond multiple teams, and that fact has me worried about Windows xi.

This saga isn't about emoji, at least non to me. I'thousand sure there are people that are upset almost Windows 11 having 3D or 2D emoji, merely I recall emojigate illustrates a larger problem inside Microsoft'southward design process. If Microsoft tin't evangelize a clear bulletin about what it plans to do with emoji, how can we expect the company to enact a unified design strategy across Windows 11? And if the company can't design emoji and then ship them to an Bone, how can we expect Microsoft to unify the await of all of Windows 11, which is tremendously more complex?

No, they didn't scam you. You're exaggerating this a bit. They simply used the wrong graphics. Sorry about that. Will brand sure they apply the correct ones going forrard.
— Brandon LeBlanc (@brandonleblanc) October xv, 2022

Mixed messages still haven't stopped

Source: Windows Cardinal

Emojigate is a needlessly complex saga that I've spent far too much fourth dimension on. I tin can't imagine how the people designing the emoji feel. There's probably some sort of icon that'd illustrate how the designers experience... if merely it was available in 3D. In whatever outcome, the entire saga is just odd. Information technology includes Microsoft having blog posts and tweets highlighting 3D emoji coming to Windows 11 and the senior program managing director of the Windows Insider squad claiming that the posts used the wrong graphics.

Despite Brandon LeBlanc challenge that Microsoft's posts used the wrong graphics, the tweets in question take not been removed. Microsoft didn't update the Medium post on emoji until November 22, 2022, which was more than than a full calendar month after emojigate kicked off.

On superlative of posts being updated late or being left untouched, Microsoft continues to ship out mixed messages. Nando Costa, a distinguished designer at Microsoft, says that the company is working to make the Windows 11 emoji 3D.

Thank you and agreed! Nosotros're working on that. 😅
— Nando Costa (@nandocosta_art) January 28, 2022

How has a college-up from Microsoft non sent out a memo about this?

Maybe Microsoft has inverse its plans regarding 3D emoji on Windows 11, but why would those changes be announced past a designer on Twitter instead of an official web log mail service? Why has Microsoft's pattern team been silent on this for months?

It doesn't seem that difficult. Either 3D emoji are coming to Windows 11, or they are not. Microsoft could clarify its plans, transport out word to its employees and contractors, and articulate information technology all upwards. Instead, nosotros're left to slice together tweets, new weblog posts, and posts that occasionally go updated with new information.

Looping it back to Windows, if Microsoft can't get on the same page about whether its emoji are 3D or 2nd, how can we expect the visitor to slice together decades of Windows code into a consistent blueprint?

Microsoft's blueprint is consistently inconsistent

Source: Leopeva64-2 via Reddit

Windows eleven includes elements from several versions of Windows. Information technology also has apps, windows, menus, and other components adult by dissimilar teams. As a event, there'southward an incredibly long list of inconsistencies within the OS. For example, a Reddit post recently noted how the nighttime and light modes of Windows xi differ, such as how ane utilizes rounded corners on highlight boxes and 1 doesn't. The point of this post isn't to highlight every inconsistency within Windows 11 since I don't recall our CMS would allow an commodity that long. If you head on over to the Windows 11 subreddit, information technology's easy to find examples of mismatching menus and inconsistent designs.

Of grade, this isn't anything new for Microsoft. The company has been tremendously tiresome when it comes to upgrading the await of legacy components. Microsoft merely started testing a new volume UI this year. The one currently available on Windows has been around since Windows 8.

When it comes to design, yous tin say one thing well-nigh Microsoft: It's consistently inconsistent. Even when the company has a design framework, new or refreshed apps don't always end up looking the same. What we get as users is an Os and set of apps from Microsoft that await half-broiled.

Mismatching menus are probably here to stay

Windows 11 desktop context menu Source: Windows Central

Microsoft has come a long way when information technology comes to the look of Windows, but I fear that the company volition never truly unify the look of its Bone. Separate teams implement blueprint languages differently. Microsoft's first-party apps wildly vary when it comes to fitting in on Windows.

Fifty-fifty if unifying the look of Windows and Microsoft'south ain apps was a priority, I question Microsoft's ability to execute a unified design strategy. After all, the company can't even figure out which emoji it's aircraft.

Updated February 2022

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