Microsoft designer shares first look at ‘dynamic wallpaper’ plans for Windows 11 — but have they already been scrapped?

As a seasoned researcher with a keen interest in operating systems and user interfaces, I have closely followed the evolution of Windows over the years. The introduction of Windows 11 was indeed a significant milestone, marking a departure from the familiar layout of its predecessors. The centered Start menu and Taskbar, along with the new dynamic wallpaper concepts, were intriguing developments that caught my attention.

Having delved into the history and design philosophy behind various software interfaces, I can appreciate the efforts Microsoft’s Creative Direction Team put into celebrating the new centered composition of Windows 11. Sergey Kisselev, a former Microsoft designer on the Windows team, shared his dynamic wallpaper concepts for low-cost devices targeting educational users, which showcased the potential of this feature to enhance the user experience.

However, as I’ve learned from my years spent observing and analyzing software development cycles, plans can change, and features don’t always make it to the final release. The absence of dynamic wallpapers in Windows 11 so far suggests that they may have been postponed or even canceled.

While I eagerly await the possibility of dynamic wallpapers becoming a reality, I can’t help but chuckle at the irony. Here we are, waiting for a feature called “dynamic” wallpaper to actually become available in Windows 11 – talk about a twist of fate! Perhaps Microsoft will surprise us all with its implementation in time for the big Windows 11 feature update in 2025. Until then, I’ll continue to admire Sergey Kisselev’s dynamic wallpaper concepts on Behance and keep my fingers crossed for this long-awaited addition to the Windows ecosystem.

When Windows 11 was launched in 2021, it marked a significant shift in the Windows desktop landscape for more than ten years. Unlike any Windows release since Windows 8, it redesigned the Start menu and Taskbar, shifting their locations and modifying their features.

Notably, the debut of Windows 11 showcased a centralized Start menu and Taskbar, alongside other sleek and streamlined user interfaces throughout the Windows environment. Additionally, this release featured several new static backgrounds intended to accentuate the centralized design, with the standout example being the default Windows 11 wallpaper, commonly recognized as “Bloom.

Beyond simple static backdrops, Microsoft has delved into introducing dynamic wallpapers for Windows 11, enabling users to set moving wallpapers on their desktops or lockscreens that subtly move in the background. A former Microsoft designer, Sergey Kisselev, from the Windows team, has given us a glimpse of what these might appear as.

In this Behance post, Kisselev discusses his exploration of diverse animations and static images tailored for Microsoft’s budget-friendly devices, with an emphasis on educational users. Simultaneously, he shares that the project was a contribution to the Windows Creative Direction Team’s initiative to emphasize a centralized design concept in Windows 11, featuring its centrally aligned Start Menu and taskbar as key elements of this new aesthetic.

Kisselev has provided several illustrations of various animated wallpaper concepts that Microsoft considered for their educational clientele. However, it appears that the dynamic wallpaper functionality for Windows 11 is still not available, implying that either this feature has been scrapped or, at the very least, delayed.

As an analyst, I’ve observed hints of advanced wallpaper functionality, specifically dynamic wallpapers, in previous Windows 11 Insider builds. Interestingly, the designs by Kisselev were also created as recently as 2023. It appears that Microsoft initially planned to incorporate dynamic wallpapers into Windows 11 with version 24H2; however, for some unspecified reason, this feature didn’t materialize in that release.

It’s uncertain if dynamic wallpapers will eventually be available. Fingers crossed that they’re still planned and will be ready by the major Windows 11 update scheduled for 2025.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Kisselev’s excellent dynamic wallpaper work on Behance.

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2025-01-02 17:39