Microsoft Office receives design overhaul, now has updated Ribbons and more

Microsoft has recently started rolling out a design overhaul to Office 365 and Office.com. The new design brings updated Ribbon, new icons, and new search experiences among others. Microsoft is rolling out the update exclusively for the Office.com and Office 365 as of now, however, it is expected that the update will be released for the desktop version(S) of the software in the coming months. Let's now have a quick look at what all the new updates have in store for the users.

The major visible change which this update brings is a new and updated version of the ribbon, which according to the company was designed in order to help the users focus on their work and collaborate naturally with others. The new updated look is said to be a clean looking which comes with a more simplified view which integrates only the most-used options. The less popular options will now be hidden. For the users who prefer dedicating more screen space to the command will be able to expand the ribbon to a classic three-line view, says Microsoft.

The company has also made some changes in the design of the icons within its Office 365 suit. This will help the users to scale perfectly on screens of any size and resolution. The new design and colors are said to give the apps a modern look so that the software is inclusive and accessible to the users. The new colors and the icons will first make an appearance in the web version of the Microsoft Word for office.com before it begins rolling out for the Windows version of Excel and PowerPoint for select Insiders. The update is further expected to roll out to Outlook for Windows by next month and will begin rolling out to Outlook for Mac.

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The search is said to become a more important element of the user experience. As per Microsoft, the search functionality will give a user the access to commands, content, and people. Also, a new feature named 'zero query search' will bring AI-powered recommendations along with a Microsoft Graph when a user places the cursor in the search box. At this moment the new update is released for the general users of office.com, SharePoint Online, and the Outlook mobile app.