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Ask HN: Is Windows Phone Metro Design Dead?

8 points by cryodesign ↗ HN
Well maybe not entirely dead, but according to this article [1], it's changing quite drastically. What set Windows Phone Design apart is basically being stripped away and it will follow similar patterns as on Android / iOS - as it will be easier for users to migrate to WP.

I'm a Windows Phone user (also use the others) and I can't say I'm agreeing with everything. I love pivots and panoramas and the emphasis on typography. But I'm just one data point...

I think the main reasons why WP didn't grow as much as it could was because it was lacking the apps, not because of its distinct design language.

I'm now considering to make my iPhone my main phone.

If you're a WP user, what do you think about the coming changes?

Are the design changes going to positively affect the adoption rate for Windows Phone? I think the main problem is still going to persist - all the new apps will land on iOS or Android first and then maybe on Windows Phone.

[1] https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/windows-phone/3000/ex-microsoft-designer-explains-the-move-away-from-metro

7 comments

[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 24.4 ms ] thread
Navarr
I was a massive fan of Metro but Material just has it beat out.
munirusman
I developed few apps on WP few years ago and I realized that Metro design is very dictatorial in almost every aspect of design and UX. Almost everything is well defined that you can't come up with creative ideas. iOS on the other hand gives a very flexible environment (almost like a blank canvas) where you can come up with innovative UI controls.
siscia
That can either be a good or a bad thing...
cryodesign
I wouldn't say it was dictatorial - Metro was a strong set of guidelines and templates to help developers get a good enough looking app without the need of a UI designer (can't say it worked though).

Nothing was stopping you from actually doing a hamburger menu yourself - other apps have done it - see Facebook and Barclays.

To me the decision to move away from Metro feels like it wasn't made by the design team. I think it was mostly driven by engineering and the business and of course time constraints to launch Windows 10. I can understand it from that perspective, but I don't necessarily think it will help adoption for WP.

Will developers now suddenly consider to port their apps, just because the UI is similar to iOS / Android, implying that it will be easier?

I doubt it.

alyx
As a WP enthusiast I don't fully understand/agree with the new direction.

I am hoping the Build will paint the complete picture of what Modern WP Design means in the W10 world.

romanovcode
.. and while MS itself moves away from MetroUI I have to re-build application that was written in Symfony2 + Bootstrap to nodejs + MetroUI. :)