Following the launch of Windows 8.1 Developer Preview for phones and desktop nearly two years ago and the Windows Insider Program for Windows 10 last year, it"s quite clear that Microsoft wants its "two million Windows Insiders" and other users to help shape the next version of Windows. This has inspired thousands of people including concept makers to create concepts of what they believe could be the perfect version of the OS.
Following these chain of concepts, we have seen rather unique concepts of Windows 10 for phones and another concept for which perfectly integrated the Windows 10 Modern UI and desktop on one screen.
This time, UX Designer Sudeep Phase - the same person who showcased a beautiful Office 365 for Android concept, has created another vibrant and intriguing abstraction for what he believes should be the replacement for the current and rather disappointing Xbox Music app found on Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10; an app which has garnered a 3.6/5 rating in the US Windows Phone Store and has been the subject of criticism for quite some time.
The Xbox Music app concept that can be found on Behance follows a distinct purple theme which looks beautiful on a dark background. The UI appears to be consistent on both the Windows 10 desktop and Windows 10 for phones. The redesign also features a new set of icons which are different from the current ones but their actions are quite clear even at first sight.
The home page of the app has gone through a complete revamp and now displays the cover art of music albums in a perfectly aligned way, which looks better than the current design. New categories can be seen in the settings which include:
- Collections
- Now Playing
- Recently Played
- Favorites
- New Playlist
- Country Fav
- People
- Store
The design looks responsive on the phone as well with albums, artists, tracks and folders visible in the upper menu tab. The options to switch between thumbnails and list view can also be seen in the lower menu tab, which will be quite convenient to most users. Emphasis has been laid on the fact of how the UI is consistent across all Windows devices. The same settings and menus can be seen in the Windows 10 for desktop image above as well.
Another interesting feature the concept explores is the app"s social potential. The concept features a control that allows you to "share music with friends", an attribute which will let users to easily see what music their friends are listening to, hence allowing people to discover new music, follow their friend"s music interests and then of course, social interaction.
All in all, the concept itself is very impressive. It"s so much cleaner and closer to Microsoft"s design language than the current UI found in the preview builds - the menu tabs do look remarkably similar to the ones found in the Calculator app for Windows 10 for phones.
If you"d like to make your voice heard and influence the future of the OS, make sure to vote on User Voice and get involved with the community in our 175+ page thread on Windows 10 Technical Preview which you can view and participate in here.
Is this something you"d like to see Microsoft do to the current Xbox Music app found in Windows 10? Let us know in the comments. Enjoy the concept gallery for the app below!
Source and Images: Sudeep Phase (Behance)
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