Moodboard

Taking the DNA of Microsoft and bringing it into 3D space—the goal of this was to focus on a human centric, playful, and tactile approach that stands out from the existing visual languages in the tech industry.

Color

Transitioning from desaturated, product-specific palettes to a vibrant, shared Microsoft brand palette that is more energizing and inspiring.

We aimed for a diverse color palette (at least three colors) in each illustration to reinforce brand recognizability. Playful color pairings provide a flexible framework to stand out in a competitive landscape dominated by primary colors.

Design

Each icon was prototyped in 2D to playfully visualize concepts before execution in 3D.

UI Integration

Icons were designed light, dark, and high contrast modes for seamless and varied UI integration.

Motion Activation

In the past, illustrations were seen as mere 'stickers' or 'decorations' added to the user interface. To bring our product experiences to life, we began sculpting 3D shapes and figures directly from our product surfaces, integrating illustrations into the user interface and using movement to emphasize metaphors.