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This whole thing isn't going to blow over until we have science fiction movie special effects foldable transparent displays with completely useless user interfa

by qz2 6y ago

This whole thing isn't going to blow over until we have science fiction movie special effects foldable transparent displays with completely useless user interfaces that were designed by someone who doesn't have to use them daily but is suitably impressed by them anyway. (Think The Expanse) It was all down hill after windows 2000. Every visual cue in user interfaces such as depth, separation, colour, accelerator underlining and consistency is gone. I feel like I'm stroking a hairless, cold and thoroughly deceased cat most of the time. I suspect, much like most aspects of the human race, that the improvement will only come after a shitty UI causes an actual body count via some ambiguity. The post-mortem for those poor souls will be a couple of paragraphs in comp.risks digest.

roywiggins 6y ago
> A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wave bands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive--you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure, of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same program. http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1329 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1329
- qz2 6y ago
  That's brilliant. I completely missed that in the numerous times I've read the book!
- daxelrod 6y ago
  Another relevant Adams quip about modern interfaces from Restaurant at the End of The Universe: > “It’s the wild colour scheme that freaks me,” said Zaphod whose love affair with this ship had lasted almost three minutes into the flight, “Every time you try to operate on of these weird black controls that are labelled in black on a black background, a little black light lights up black to let you know you’ve done it. What is this? Some kind of galactic hyperhearse?”
kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
I'd lay the blame on Kai's power tools and their silly opaque discoverable interfaces. That's the start point of usability taking a back seat to designer bs.

by qz2 6y ago

roywiggins 6y ago

> A loud clatter of gunk music flooded through the Heart of Gold cabin as Zaphod searched the sub-etha radio wave bands for news of himself. The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive--you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure, of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same program. http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1329 http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1329

qz2 6y ago
That's brilliant. I completely missed that in the numerous times I've read the book!
daxelrod 6y ago
Another relevant Adams quip about modern interfaces from Restaurant at the End of The Universe: > “It’s the wild colour scheme that freaks me,” said Zaphod whose love affair with this ship had lasted almost three minutes into the flight, “Every time you try to operate on of these weird black controls that are labelled in black on a black background, a little black light lights up black to let you know you’ve done it. What is this? Some kind of galactic hyperhearse?”

kevin_thibedeau 6y ago

I'd lay the blame on Kai's power tools and their silly opaque discoverable interfaces. That's the start point of usability taking a back seat to designer bs.