You can visit www.compass-io.com for a more complete description :)

Last summer I played a bit by designing some ideas that I had been having for quite a while. This page gathers some sketches and thoughts about general organization and possible concepts.

 

 

The new logos I created below are to emphasize and distinguish the concepts from the current context.

Windows can be improved by fixing inconsistencies and consolidating the whole system with a more homogeneous behaviour across devices.

Desktop, laptops and touch devices with a screen size bigger than 9 inches are powered by the exact same Windows system.

Windows's keystone is the taskbar.

Apps icons require a strong visual identity. The OS fundamentals can use clean white-only icons.

 

The Start menu is brought by a click on the Windows button or a slide from the left border of the screen.

It gathers notifications, recent files (downloads, last modified etc.), a short list of the last installed apps and Cortana. The user is notified of new existing notifications by a blue Windows button.

The Action Center is brought by a click on the clock or a slide from the right border of the screen.

It displays the next appointments for the day, quick settings and removable disks.

The Start menu and Action Center bring quick access to the most useful functionalities anytime anywhere.

Apps view is brought by a click on the Apps View button or by pushing the home button of a touch device.

It is possible to drop information such as the name or the logo of an app when the user has acknowledged the app by resizing it.

 

Task View is brought by a click on the Task View button or a 3-fingers pinch on the screen. Touch devices also offer the possibility to quickly switch between last opened apps by sliding from the bottom border of the screen.

 

Continuum switches from regular desktop mode to tablet mode. Its main job is to simplify windows management (no floating window) and to enlarge the right click menu system-wide. Apps should not have to specifically adapt to this behaviour since they should already adapt to regular window resizing.

 

Elegant. Thin. Light.

Surface is a brand of tablets, phones and laptops running Windows and exhibiting the most out of today's portable devices.

One physical home button on the front for simplicity. Slide from the borders of the screen to call specific functions :