Consider exposing other entry points to the extraneous apps. For example, don't have two shortcuts that launch an app in two different modes, such as one for Windows Internet Explorer and one for Internet Explorer with no add-ons.ĭO: Minimize the number of tiles that are added as part of installation. Users see the Start screen when they first login, and so placing a shortcut only on the desktop isn't as effective as including it in the Start screen.ĭON'T: Don't provide multiple shortcuts to the same app. In particular, do not add a shortcut only on the desktop. If you do not include a shortcut in the Start screen, your app becomes difficult to launch. This ensures that people can launch your app directly from the Start screen or through search. Decide the right entry points to include in the Start screenĭO: Add one shortcut per app in the Start screen when the app is installed. This helps differentiate desktop applications on the taskbar, and from other desktop app tiles in the Start screen because the background color of desktop tiles can't be customized. While Windows Store app icons are sometimes monochromatic, we recommend using color icons for desktop apps. The new look and feel for icons is flat, so if you want to mimic Windows Store app icons for your desktop app, consider taking out drop shadows and so on.ĭON'T: Don't avoid the use of color. ScaleĭO: Embrace the Microsoft design principles. Desktop tiles pinned to the Start screen can accommodate up to two lines of text each line, or about around ten characters (though this depends on the UI language), so try to keep the application name short enough to avoid truncation.ĭO: Provide icons for the four supported Start screen scale values to ensure that your icons look crisp on all form factors. The background color is derived from the user's chosen background color and isn't programmatically customizable.ĭO: Avoid truncation of your application name. You can customize two aspects of your desktop app tiles: the app name, and icon. The following provides information on choices to consider when tailoring desktop app tiles for Windows 8 including how to design desktop app tiles for the new Start screen and how to choose what entry points to show in the Start screen.

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