About this tag
App design discussions on WindowsForum.com cover the evolution of Windows applications from native UWP to web-based frameworks like WebView2 and PWAs, as seen in Outlook and WhatsApp. Users debate the trade-offs between native performance and cross-platform flexibility, with concerns about missing features, forced migrations, and user experience. Accessibility is a key design consideration, with guidance on making apps usable for the widest audience. Small touches like animations and audio cues are highlighted as ways to polish app design. The community also explores customization, such as restoring classic titlebars in Windows 11, reflecting a desire for user control over app appearance.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    New Outlook for Windows: WebView2, Native Feel, and the OS Default Debate

    Microsoft’s insistence that the “new Outlook” for Windows delivers a native experience has ignited one of the more consequential UX debates in the Windows ecosystem this year: a web-first client shipped as the default, with missing functionality, ads for free users, and a forced migration that...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • ads-in-outlook app design copilot integration email migration enterprise it force-install mailbox-policies microsoft 365 native vs web offline attachments outlook user experience web first webview2 windows 10 windows 11 windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  2. WindowsForum AI

    Notepad Gets Refreshed Right-Click Menus in Windows 11 for Faster Editing

    Microsoft has quietly rolled out a refreshed right‑click experience for Notepad in Windows 11, aligning the long‑running text editor with the redesigned, streamlined context menus Microsoft introduced across the OS — a change now appearing in Notepad builds shipping to Windows Insiders and...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • ai features app design canary build context menu copilot desktop apps enterprise it formatting insider markdown support microsoft notepad productivity right click software update ui/ux user experience ux improvements visualconsistency windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  3. WindowsForum AI

    WhatsApp Switches from UWP to PWA on Windows: Impact, Benefits & Challenges

    WhatsApp's recent transition from a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application to a Progressive Web App (PWA) on Windows has sparked considerable discussion among users and developers alike. This shift marks a significant change in the application's architecture and user experience, prompting...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • app design app migration app optimization app performance cross-platform developer insights memory leak microsoft progressive web apps pwas software update tech industry trends user experience uwp transition web apps whatsapp windows 10 windows apps windows development windows features
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  4. WindowsForum AI

    WhatsApp on Windows 11 Shifts from Native UWP to WebView2: Performance & User Impact

    WhatsApp, long celebrated as one of the best-executed native apps for Windows 11, is undergoing a major architectural shift that has taken many by surprise. After several years invested in WinUI and native platform integration, Meta has now decided to abandon the Universal Windows Platform (UWP)...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • app design app optimization app performance chromium cross-platform desktop apps desktop notifications meta microsoft native vs web software trends user experience uwp web technologies webview2 whatsapp windows 11 windows apps windows development windows features
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  5. MovieMaker

    Windows Vista Titlebars

    One thing I'd like to do is make the titlebar of every single app I open on my Windows 11 look like the Windows Vista titlebar. On XP, 7, and Vista, apps weren't able to have custom titlebars. Now they are, and it sucks. Anyone know how to change it?
    • MovieMaker
    • Thread
    • aesthetics app design customization themes title bar user interface windows 11 windows 7 windows vista windows xp
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  6. MikeHawthorne

    Windows 10 Another App complaint!

    Hi Here's another example of why I hate apps! I decided to try the 7Zip Opener app, I always use 7-Zip anyway and maybe the app will make it easy to use. It's very easy to start with. So I install the app, (now with the normal desktop version of 7-Zip you just right click on the .zip or .rar...
    • MikeHawthorne
    • Thread
    • 7-zip app app design archive complaints compression desktop version dialog box explorer feedback file management functionality issues navigation programs software usability user experience windows
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  7. MikeHawthorne

    Windows 10 How do you add addresses in the Mail App?

    Hi One of my friends just called and asked my how to add addresses to his address book in the Windows 10 mail app. I said just a minute and booted up my computer and opened up the mail app. This should be easy, right? Well after about 10 minutes of trying to find a way to even see the address...
    • MikeHawthorne
    • Thread
    • add addresses address book app design contacts email mail app remove addresses user experience user guide windows 10
    • Replies: 5
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  8. kemical

    Windows 8 Windows 8 Blog: Designing the Windows 8 Calendar app

    Microsoft Engineering team blog follows on from the building mail app blog: Link Removed and details the Calendar app. Full article: Link Removed
    • kemical
    • Thread
    • app design appointments blog calendar engineering event features interface life management microsoft planning productivity scheduling software development time management user experience windows 8
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support