Microsoft’s new Metro UI Download Center goes live

By Tom Warren, on 11th Jun 11 9:37 am with 33 Comments

Microsoft refreshed its Download Center this week.

The software giant introduced a new look and feel for the popular Microsoft Download Center. The site now features a similar look and feel to the main microsoft.com homepage, inspired by the company’s Metro design language. Microsoft has previously updated its online store look and feel to match the Metro look and feel.

Microsoft’s Metro design language is an internal code name for a typography-based design languages created and used by the company. Microsoft originally started using Metro in Media Center and showcased a full version in the company’s Zune products. Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, also features the Metro look and feel throughout. The use of the Metro UI on more of Microsoft’s web properties shows that the clean, fast and simple look is something that the company is proud to use across its range of products and services.

Microsoft also revealed recently that the company plans to use the Metro design language across Windows 8 and the new Xbox LIVE Dashboard. Both products now feature live tiles and a similar interface to Windows Phone 7. Microsoft will make its new Xbox LIVE dashboard available later this year and Windows 8 is due in 2012.

Microsoft’s new look Download Center is available here.

Microsoft's new download center

  • http://twitter.com/AsTh11 Alessandro Grua

    Nice! I like the new Metro UI on their websites very much! They should update windows.com soon, because that website is not good at all!

    • Anonymous

      Agreed.

  • http://twitter.com/AsTh11 Alessandro Grua

    Nice! I like the new Metro UI on their websites very much! They should update windows.com soon, because that website is not good at all!

  • Ronit Kumar

    “Microsoft’s web properties shows that the clean, fast and simple look is something that the company is proud to use across its range of products and services.” – Why wouldn’t they be ? When most of ‘em out there are busy copying or just imitating stuff, Microsoft is a breath of fresh air, and evidently iOS 5 also copied few of its GUI enhancements! Zune makes iTunes look like crap, exactly what Win 8 on tablet will make iPad look like !!

    • Guest

      you’re an idiot

    • Anonymous

      You too, apparently. What’s wrong with his comment?

    • http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

      Absolutely nothing.  While Ronit could have taken the completely bash the competition route, he is saying why he prefers Microsoft’s offerings.  I totally agree.

  • http://unhub.com/eingoluq Eingoluq

    The Metro Paradigm is not only about minimalistic icons and clean text. Its also a navigation philosophy based on hierarchy and the use of two axes as a datum as opposed to one in most OS’s and websites.
    I love what Microsoft has done with their Metro inspired ecosystem, but I believe that they do not implement it properly within their own websites. Things are not always obvious, I think more user research is needed.

    • Anonymous

      something like this http://bit.ly/jRT4MT (This is my proposal)

    • http://unhub.com/eingoluq Eingoluq

      Nice, though there needs to be a recent/history pane as well

  • Secretromeo

    It sucks big time!!

    • PiX

      yeah, it kinda does

  • http://twitter.com/hvnchrstn hyn chrstn

    IMO it’s too many colors, too many useless elements to match Metro UI. I love metro UI but this is not Metro UI

    • Anonymous

      Agreed. I don’t like their Metro UI approach on their homepage and now Download Center.

    • Guest

      And another negative and unconstructive comment.

    • Anonymous

      You’re following me or what? I’m just stating my opinion man.

    • http://twitter.com/kenobeano Keno Butler

      yup totally agree this could have been done so much better…. lets hope the fix it

  • Liklroka

    I love the new look, I reckon that Microsoft should abandon the Aero UI and implement Metro throughout Windows 8, flatten the taskbar, using the same layout and features as windows 7 but with simple flat graphics and alpha channels, it would look great!

    • Anonymous

      Exactly, I want too, squared, flat windows with nice colors. Enough with the freakin’ curved corners.

      The site’s design, by the way, is beyond perfect.  

      That’s why I like this site ( Winrumors ) too. Simple, squared, clean.

  • Renzo

    I prefer this over what they had before, but I agree they need to clean it up a bit.

  • Anonymous

    Completely broken now because you can’t see daily new downloads now.

  • Gornot

    Is THIS the reason I couldn’t download ANYTHING from the site the last few days?

  • Anonymous

    WAY TOO BUSY! MSFT needs to go with simplicity and a clean look. Love the Metro UI, but I have seen it done much better.

  • M-kaz

    I don’t think this really counts as “Metro.”  It looks pretty good though.

  • Anonymous

    I love metro and stuff, but this download center and the Microsoft.com homepage really suck. I’ve been sending them this feedback for a couple of months now…

  • http://twitter.com/jimmyfal Jimmy Fallon

    This site is still WAY to busy looking, CLEAN IT UP!

  • Anonymous

    I’m very annoyed by the cut off arrow symbols and the smaller ones that are actually slightly oval.

  • Dude

    They just put the icons inside squares. Doesn’t look like metro to me.

  • Anonymous

    I like it. better than the way it was before

  • Anonymous

    It’s a decent start but this needs a LOT of polish.  

  • jeffsyang

    Although the download center page looks better (and cleaner) than before, it does need to be polished a bit. One idea is to remove the blue rectangle next to the slideshow thing and enlarge the slideshow thingy. Another is to reduce the amount of blue on the webpage. As of now, there are also two blue slideshow screens. They went a little overboard with the blue. Another is to put the “find products and downloads for” section on top so people can immediately choose which product to choose.