Skip to main content
Microsoft
Microsoft 365 Dev Center
Microsoft 365 Dev Center
  • Home
  • Office
      • Go to Market
      • Go-to-Market Guide
      • Develop Your Strategy
      • Optimize UX
      • Prepare to Go to Market
      • Monitor and Manage Lifecycle
      • Education
    • Access
    • Excel
    • Kaizala
    • Microsoft Teams
    • OneDrive
    • OneNote
    • Outlook
    • PowerPoint
    • Project
    • SharePoint
    • Skype
    • Visio
    • Word
    • Yammer
    • Docs
    • Training
    • Blog
    • Samples & SDKs
    • Tools
    • Videos & Podcasts
    • Events
    • Microsoft 365 developer certification
    • All Resources
    • Join Now
    • My Dashboard
    • Docs
    • FAQ
  • Support
      • Microsoft 365
      • Azure
      • Office 365
      • Dynamics 365
      • Power Platform
      • Windows 10
      • Windows Server
      • Enterprise Mobility + Security
      • Power BI
      • Teams
      • Visual Studio
      • Microsoft Advertising
      • AI
      • Internet of Things
      • Azure Cognitive Services
      • Quantum
      • Microsoft HoloLens
      • Mixed Reality
      • Docs
      • Developer Center
      • Windows Dev Center
      • Windows IT Pro Center
      • FastTrack
      • Power Platform
      • Partner Network
      • Solution Providers
      • Partner Center
      • Cloud Hosting
      • Education
      • Financial services
      • Government
      • Health
      • Manufacturing & resources
      • Retail
      • Security
      • Licensing
      • AppSource
      • Azure Marketplace
      • Events
      • Research
    • View Sitemap
    Sign in

    Optimize UX: Go-to-Market Guide

    < previous
    next >

    Optimize the UX for your add-in

    As you design your Office solution, consider the overall user experience (UX) and how you will deliver a solution that’s seamless and user friendly. To create a great add-in, provide an engaging first-run experience for your users and design a first-class UI. This section focuses on best practices for Office and SharePoint Add-ins.

    Office Add-ins

    Create add-ins that help your users complete their tasks quickly and efficiently by:

    • Envisioning and planning your experience.
    • Developing engaging interactions.
    • Integrating seamlessly into Office.

    Outstanding Office Add-ins will:

    • Apply UX design principles.
    • Provide a net value that exceeds that of alternative solutions.
    • Enhance and complement the features that Office provides.
    • Deliver continuous, data-driven improvements to the Office experience.

    Learn more about how to develop Office Add-ins

    SharePoint Add-ins

    SharePoint Add-ins must be easy to use while allowing users to quickly realize the benefits:

    Your add-in should be fully self-contained and can:

    • Provide additional web parts that can be used on home pages.
    • Extend lists and libraries and provide extension points.

    Outstanding SharePoint Add-ins will:

    • Blend into the natural user experience of SharePoint.
    • Have a consistent look and feel, including colors, styles, and UI.
    • Provide a clear navigation link to return the user to the SharePoint site that launched the add-in.

    Learn more about how to develop SharePoint Add-ins

    Apply UX Design Principles

    You only have a short time period and limited space to portray the value of your solution. Consider the following as you develop your UX:

    • Does your user understand the value of the solution?
    • What steps do customers need to take to use your solution?
    • How do users interact with your solution?

    When designing your Office add-in, apply the following principles to your UX design:

    • Ensure that the look, feel, and functionality of your add-in complements Office.
    • Maintain simplicity and a seamless user experience.
    • Optimize your add-in for touch.
    • Develop a similar look and feel across different platforms.
    • Use add-in commands to:
      • Provide relevant UI entry points for your add-in.
      • Identify granular actions for common tasks.
      • Minimize the number of steps to complete actions.
    • Apply Microsoft icon design guidance.

    For more information:

    • See the best practices for developing Office Add-ins.
    • Find guidance for creating UX components for your SharePoint Add-ins.
    • Use Fluent UI to help ensure that the look and feel and functionality of your add-in complements the Office experience
    • Use the UX design pattern templates for Office Add-ins to apply common interaction patterns.
    < previous
    next >
    Follow us
    Share this page
    What's new
    • Surface Duo
    • Surface Laptop Go
    • Surface Pro X
    • Surface Go 2
    • Surface Book 3
    • Microsoft 365
    • Windows 10 apps
    • HoloLens 2
    Microsoft Store
    • Account profile
    • Download Center
    • Microsoft Store support
    • Returns
    • Order tracking
    • Virtual workshops and training
    • Microsoft Store Promise
    • Financing
    Education
    • Microsoft in education
    • Office for students
    • Office 365 for schools
    • Deals for students & parents
    • Microsoft Azure in education
    Enterprise
    • Azure
    • AppSource
    • Automotive
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Manufacturing
    • Financial services
    • Retail
    Developer
    • Microsoft Visual Studio
    • Windows Dev Center
    • Developer Center
    • Microsoft developer program
    • Channel 9
    • Office Dev Center
    • Microsoft Garage
    Company
    • Careers
    • About Microsoft
    • Company news
    • Privacy at Microsoft
    • Investors
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Accessibility
    • Security
    English (United States)
    • Sitemap
    • Contact Microsoft
    • Privacy
    • Manage cookies
    • Terms of use
    • Trademarks
    • Safety & eco
    • About our ads
    • © Microsoft 2021

    Sign in required


    Your session has expired. Please sign-in again to continue. Unfortunately any unsaved changes will be lost.

    Sign in