What Is Modern?

When Microsoft first described its new user interface (UI) for Windows Phone and Windows 8, it referred to that UI using the code name Metro. After the release of Windows 8, Microsoft advised customers and developers that it would no longer use this code name. Instead, the UI is typically referred to as Modern UI, and the Metro-style applications are known as Windows Store applications.

Modern describes a UI design that Microsoft has emphasized across nearly all of its current and upcoming platforms. The primary application environment in Windows 8 is based on modern design principles, and applications that run there are called Windows Store applications. Additionally, Windows 8 provides Desktop mode, which is very similar to the Windows 7 UI, but it is now de-emphasized relative to the new Modern and WinRT environment.

The Modern design style was first used by Microsoft in 2004 with the introduction of Windows Media Center and was subsequently used on Zune media devices, Windows Phone 7, and Xbox. The style has become ubiquitous at the company, even appearing in its marketing and presentation materials.