Microsoft is in the process of updating its Office suite icons, introducing new, colorful designs. The company has shared various design concepts that were considered before finalizing these new icons. Some of these concepts show significant differences from the icons being released, resembling past Office for Mac icons.
The design concepts for Word include different interpretations, such as a notepad-like icon and various depictions of stacks of documents. In these iterations, Microsoft explored using the Word lettering as a central element of the icon, as well as versions where the lettering is either blended in or completely absent. Ultimately, the finalized design features three horizontal bars instead of four, available in versions both with and without the lettering.
Excel’s concept icons largely maintain a focus on the use of cells, with few variations from this theme. One design, featuring an ‘X’ icon, stands out among the others, which are similar to the final icon that Microsoft selected.
In the case of PowerPoint, Microsoft experimented with multiple representations of slides for the new icon. Some concepts emphasized the lettering, forming designs like a ribbon-like ‘P’ or a ‘P’ with a pie chart attached. However, the ultimate icon design adopts a more subdued approach, presenting a slightly rounded and colorful version of the existing PowerPoint icon.
The rollout of Microsoft’s new Office icons, which also includes updates for Teams, OneDrive, Outlook, and OneNote, is currently taking place across Windows and iOS platforms. Notably, Microsoft is utilizing icons with letters for the Windows version, while iOS features versions without the prominent lettering.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/799736/microsoft-office-icons-test-versions