Ruben Rios introduces the new Visual Studio 2026 user experience, highlighting features like refreshed design, improved accessibility, settings, and editor customization aimed at supporting developers’ modern workflows.

A First Look at the Refreshed UX in Visual Studio 2026

Author: Ruben Rios

Visual Studio 2026 debuts a redesigned user experience centered on clarity, accessibility, and a clean interface aligned with Windows aesthetics. Developed through extensive feedback and collaboration with the developer community, this release updates typography, iconography, and layout to put your code at the center and minimize distractions.

Key Features and Improvements

Refined Visual Design

  • Enhanced clarity across high-density screens and large projects
  • Improved layout and spacing for better navigation
  • Updated typography and iconography for a modern, clean look
  • Visual changes crafted to support focus and productivity

New Settings Experience

  • Completely redesigned settings interface with a streamlined, transparent workflow
  • Improved discoverability and organization for settings
  • Enhanced search delivering more accurate results
  • Direct control via an underlying JSON file for real-time visibility and trackability
  • Fully themed interface carrying user/IDE preferences throughout Visual Studio
  • Legacy settings remain accessible for continuity

Personalization and Accessibility

  • 11 new tinted themes for personalized appearance on Light/Dark backgrounds
  • Increased accessibility: improved contrast and text legibility
  • Themes designed to reduce eye strain and support specific accessibility needs
  • Updated guidance for theme and extension developers is forthcoming

Editor Appearance Customization

  • New option to set editor appearance independently from the IDE’s theme
  • Extra contrast modes for those requiring higher readability
  • Editor font family, size, and style persist across theme changes

Integrated Performance and AI Capabilities

  • Visual Studio 2026 Insiders release features new AI-integrated development tools and performance improvements aimed at enterprise-scale speed

Getting Started and Feedback

Summary

Visual Studio 2026’s refreshed UX is designed to boost developer productivity through thoughtful design, accessible theming, improved personalization, and streamlined configuration. The changes aim to make day-to-day development cleaner, more intuitive, and adaptable to various workflows and preferences.

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