When Office 2003 was replaced by Office 2007, many users who could use Word, Excel & Co almost blindly – because they knew exactly where which function is located – had to get used to it when the menu ribbon was introduced to better categorize functional areas.

And of course at the beginning – as with almost everything that is new – there was a lot of criticism from the users. And now it’s time again that we all have to get used to it. Because the menu ribbon to which we have all got used falls victim to the red pen after 13 years, and should give way to a new, slimmer design. In the future, there will be a context-sensitive strip with buttons at the top of the screen, which changes depending on the work being carried out.

With this step, Microsoft would like to make it easier for users to work with the Office software through a tidier design, and to simplify the sometimes cluttered menu navigation. The focus should always be on the current work to be carried out. That this redesign is not just a visual gimmick for Microsoft, but really about improving the workflow with the office software is also noticeable because there is still no fixed date for the implementation with which everything is changed in one go becomes.

Rather, it is a project that is designed to be implemented in the long term. While some changes have already been tested, others are still in the testing phase to see whether changes really bring added value to users here, or only confuse them in the end. So it will take a while before all users will receive the new design. We think that (if Microsoft stays true to its cycle) the new design will be available to all users with the Office 2022 version at the latest.