First Windows 8 mockup from 2010 was called "Pocahontas"

Above image is not the first mockup that was shown off in 2010

Microsoft's launch of Windows 8 is now less than six weeks away, but over three years ago, the company was just beginning to think about the design for its next PC operating system. A new and extensive article on the process Microsoft went through to come up with the "Metro" style for Windows 8 has now been posted on the FastCoDesign.com website.

The article reveals that in May 2009, Sam Moreau, the director of user experience for Windows, and Windows designer Jensen Harris, got 150 team members from various company divisions together in one auditorium to discuss the design of Windows 8. The final result was a mockup of the first version of the OS in 2010, which the article reveals was called "Pocahontas".

The term was used in order to represent the company's journey into a "new world" where design became more important when creating a PC OS. The new movement in the company was also pushed by the fact that one of Microsoft's biggest rivals, Apple, had shown that making a good design for products can also make businesses a lot of money.

The article also says that the "Metro" UI was heavily influenced by Bauhaus, a school of design in Germany that operated in the early 20th century. Moreau said of the design movement that originated at the school, "Reducing down to the most beautiful form and function--that’s what the Bauhaus was all about."

Source: FastCoDesign.com | Image via Microsoft