Microsoft Windows 10X Intro
Windows 10X
Background:
Windows 10X operating system was a mobile-like consumer focus product with a emphasis on dual screen interaction. However, we decided to shift to a single screen (laptop posture) with emphasis on commercial business, by bringing the remote apps directly to Windows 10X platform.
Problem:
Remote apps had a lot of restrictions when running on Windows 10x. Some issues such as: remote apps have to be launched via the remote app client and all the remote apps will run from a single window only. Basically, they can not behave like a local apps. How can remote app run smoothly on Windows 10x?
Role
My role was to make the remote apps behave like-local apps on Windows 10X single screen. The areas would include: identifying remote apps, launching , windowing, switching, and error cases.
Target users
For the commercial audience, we targeted two main groups. The first was remote workers who perform their tasks at a desk and use a set of remote apps configured by their IT admins. The second was mobile information workers who are constantly on the go. For them, connecting to remote apps was crucial, because the information they enter into or pull from those apps needs to be accessible from anywhere.
Concept explorations
Remote app identifier explorations
Switching between remote and local apps
Explore ways how remote apps can be represented in switching surfaces
Proposed design solutions
I have proposed concept variations to help identify remote apps amongst local apps. With the appended server name being easily recognizable, consistent across all surfaces and also easily implemented solution The user can easily recognize the remote apps on the 2nd line of the app name in the Start menu.
Launching remote apps
One major change, the remote apps will have its own individual app icons on the Taskbar. They are no longer group together. Also, In order to stay consistent with the appended remote app name in the Start menu, when hover over the app icon, extended UI will show a preview of the remote app with appended name on the title to help identify that it is a remote app.
Remote apps on Taskbar
Remote apps showing in Task view as individual windows. Appended server name to help identify as remote apps. Thus, to be consistent with Taskbar and Start menu remote app representation.
Remote apps in Taskview switching
The improvement is to have remote apps able to snap side by side with local or any app window. Break remote app free from its contained window and have them as individual window properties. Acting like a local app window.
Snapping remote apps
