Outlook on Mac and Windows gets redesigned

Posted on Thursday November 23, 2017

Microsoft is redesigning Outlook for Mac and Windows to reduce clutter and improve user experience. The design changes will be patterned after the iOS version of the app, which is much easier to use and more modern-looking than its desktop counterpart. If you use Outlook on a desktop, check out these new changes.

How Outlook will be simplified

The most notable feature of the new Outlook will be a simplified navigation bar along the top of the screen, which means less of the screen will be reserved for formatting and organizational options. However, you can still add more buttons to accommodate your common tasks and preferences. With a smaller number of commands, you can benefit from an uncluttered interface that lets you use email more efficiently.

Changes will also be made to the left panel to provide users with quicker access to folders across multiple accounts. Moreover, a slide-to-delete function using Apple’s trackpad -- like in the iOS version -- will be integrated into the redesigned app.

Other design changes for Outlook in Mac

Mac users can also expect faster and more reliable search and calendar features in the enhanced Outlook. The search function will get a performance boost and will be moved to the top right corner of the app for easier access. The calendar function’s interface, on the other hand, will be reworked to eliminate tedious steps currently required to manage appointments.

These and other upcoming changes are aimed at increasing users’ satisfaction ‘by providing a cleaner, more modern way to email.’ The design changes will also benefit those who access their account on different devices because, in the updated desktop version, they will be able to enjoy the same uncluttered app that they use on their mobile devices.

Although the changes are for Windows and Mac, Microsoft is implementing most of the design changes primarily for Mac. Microsoft recognizes Outlook's popularity among “key influencers and decision makers,” whom it wishes to win over before a wider release. The new version will most likely become available to Office 365 subscribers first and eventually roll out with Office 2019, which is expected to arrive in mid-2018.

An easy-to-use email interface is a boon to your business’s productivity. And with Outlook’s new look and improved functionality, you can read, send, and organize emails more conveniently and with minimal distraction. Our experts are on-hand to answer all your questions about Outlook and other Microsoft Office apps -- get in touch with us today.