3 ms·

> Early UX design wasn't always done with as much thought and sophistication as today's software designers (are claiming to) apply. Oh, but it was. Here's Appl

by troupo 3y ago

> Early UX design wasn't always done with as much thought and sophistication as today's software designers (are claiming to) apply. Oh, but it was. Here's Apple HIG from 1987 listing extensive bibliography on the subject: https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447409175596699652 https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447409175596699652 (here's the full PDF: https://andymatuschak.org/files/papers/Apple%20Human%20Interface%20Guidelines%201987.pdf https://andymatuschak.org/files/papers/Apple%20Human%20Inter...) Modern "designers" apply as much thought and care as a hungry goldfish at feeding time

troupo 3y ago
Or here: https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447710247712280578 https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447710247712280578 > there's a (pre-release) 1985 HIG that's quite different. It includes e.g. case studies (useful!), and an extended discussion of Jung's theories of intuition and how they should influence your designs (!!) The most modern "designers" read is the labels on grocery store items.
Cockbrand 3y ago
I think the point here is > wasn't always done with as much thought While Apple cared a lot about perfecting UX, Microsoft had other priorities.
- troupo 3y ago
  Microsoft did a lot of user and interface research. It wasn't as streamlined as Apple's, but it's incorrect to say that they didn't give it much thought. I don't have a link to OS-level considerations, but here's a series of articles on how MS Office's original ribbon came to be: https://web.archive.org/web/20080316101025/http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/default.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20080316101025/http://blogs.msdn...
- Sakos 3y ago
  What's with this myth that Microsoft never cared about UI/UX design? It's simply not true. They're especially not any better at it now than in the 90s and 00s. Modern designers don't put even a fraction of research into UI design than what Microsoft used to do.
  - fortran77 3y ago
    Windows 3.1 had a beautiful revolutionary design. I remember closely examining all the buttons and icons when I first saw it.
- wongarsu 3y ago
  Making things intuitive and easily usable was absolutely a priority of Microsoft back then, and they put a lot more thought in that than most modern "UX" design. Making things pretty wasn't a priority for Microsoft the same way it was for Apple. But I wouldn't call that UX.

by troupo 3y ago

troupo 3y ago

Or here: https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447710247712280578 https://x.com/andy_matuschak/status/1447710247712280578 > there's a (pre-release) 1985 HIG that's quite different. It includes e.g. case studies (useful!), and an extended discussion of Jung's theories of intuition and how they should influence your designs (!!) The most modern "designers" read is the labels on grocery store items.

Cockbrand 3y ago

I think the point here is > wasn't always done with as much thought While Apple cared a lot about perfecting UX, Microsoft had other priorities.

troupo 3y ago
Microsoft did a lot of user and interface research. It wasn't as streamlined as Apple's, but it's incorrect to say that they didn't give it much thought. I don't have a link to OS-level considerations, but here's a series of articles on how MS Office's original ribbon came to be: https://web.archive.org/web/20080316101025/http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/tags/Why+the+New+UI_3F00_/default.aspx https://web.archive.org/web/20080316101025/http://blogs.msdn...
Sakos 3y ago
What's with this myth that Microsoft never cared about UI/UX design? It's simply not true. They're especially not any better at it now than in the 90s and 00s. Modern designers don't put even a fraction of research into UI design than what Microsoft used to do.
- fortran77 3y ago
  Windows 3.1 had a beautiful revolutionary design. I remember closely examining all the buttons and icons when I first saw it.
wongarsu 3y ago
Making things intuitive and easily usable was absolutely a priority of Microsoft back then, and they put a lot more thought in that than most modern "UX" design. Making things pretty wasn't a priority for Microsoft the same way it was for Apple. But I wouldn't call that UX.