Microsoft Windows 10 Language Installer

R O L E   Product Designer
T E A M   Lead Designer | Product Manager

O V E R V I E W
Our team was approached to help with the redesign of the Region & Language Settings in Windows 10, as well as improve the usability of the Settings. More specifically, we were tasked with improving the way a user installs language packs in the Windows 10 OS.

In the kickoff meeting, the product manager explained that the current flow of adding a language pack was a inline non-dialog-based model and going forward, they would like to the flow to utilize a modal dialog. The designer before my involvement had done a bit of design discovery and had the PM connect with the Windows Design Peer Review to discuss this.

S O L U T I O N / P R O C E S S
The process required a streamlined and simplified solution on how to a language pack in Windows 10. I relied heavily on previous usability study data, the feedback the PM received from design review, and the existing controls and patterns for Windows 10. Subsequently, I used the current modal dialog pattern in the Windows Documentation to redesign the experience and delivered two options complete with redlines and specifications.

To get started, I familiarized myself with the current flow and analyzed the steps in the current release that a user would take to add a language and install an optional language pack along with other options for a specific language, if available.

Next, I reviewed the design handed to me by and iterated on it using UX best practices along with available patterns. This allowed me to deliver two options. The result, along with its accompanying redlines, was sent off for review and eventually development. This work was shown in a Windows Insider Preview release of Windows 10 toward the end of December, 2017. The following are the actual screens from that build:

  • 1 - The "Region & Language" settings page where a user can "
    1 - The "Region & Language" settings page where a user can "
  • 2 - The modal dialog with the list of languages a user can choose to install.
    2 - The modal dialog with the list of languages a user can choose to install.
  • 3 - Next they choose the language to be installed and hit the Next button
    3 - Next they choose the language to be installed and hit the Next button
  • 4 - The optional language feature screen where they choose additional features to be installed based on the language they have chosen. Once they select the features, they click the install button.
    4 - The optional language feature screen where they choose additional features to be installed based on the language they have chosen. Once they select the features, they click the install button.
  • 5 - The main Region & language settings page shows the new language being installed.
    5 - The main Region & language settings page shows the new language being installed.
  • When they hit the "Add a language" button in step 2, they can also use the search field to filter to the exactly language they want.
    When they hit the "Add a language" button in step 2, they can also use the search field to filter to the exactly language they want.
  • And then select the language they've search for.
    And then select the language they've search for.
  • In case the user is offline, after they click a language in Step 2, red error text would display in the next screen.
    In case the user is offline, after they click a language in Step 2, red error text would display in the next screen.

After this build was seeded, more usability testing was done and additional feedback was gathered from actual developers and users.

As a result of the feedback, it was determined that another iteration was warranted. I refined the design and another round of iterations were created. The designs were handed back to the team for review and development, and the following video presents the work as it appears in its most current state in one of the latest builds (and it’s the same flow that exists in the OS to this day.


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