Early on, designers used realistic icons to mimic real-world objects and help users learn how to navigate digital interfaces. This was an important step in training users and improving usability.

With the invention of the iPhone, touch became the main input form, moving us away from desktop-based interactions. Over the years, designing apps has become more common than ever. Designers now rely on established practices like onboarding flows, sign-up processes, payment systems, and customer support, especially in e-commerce.

Today, designers must adapt quickly to emerging technologies like AI and virtual reality headsets, continuing to evolve interaction design to meet new ways people engage with devices.

Today, things feel different. It seems like we’ve become more controlled by our devices. Instead of new gadgets, the focus has moved toward productivity and content creation. AI has made it easier to consume more content, but it also brings a flood of information, some of it unreliable.

As designers, we need to adapt quickly. Technology is moving fast; if we don’t pivot and grow with it, we risk falling behind.

What has improved the most is the focus on user experience. Interfaces now are designed to be more intuitive, responsive, and personalized. Systems have become more complex, but also more smart in helping users do due tasks faster.

At the same time, I believe now we are entering a different challenge. With the rise of AI and faster technology, things are becoming more difficult to understand. There is too much information, and sometimes it’s hard to know what is real or not. Some systems feel like they are controlling the experience too much lke a form of soft censorship and not giving the user full control.

As designers, I think we must return to human-centered design. We need to slow down and focus on the real problems people face, not just follow the trend of speed and automation. Design should always start with empathy understanding the human before creating the solution.

Suchman demonstrated that even well-intentioned designs can fail if they don’t account for real-world use, highlighting the importance of user-centered design. By observing users’ struggles with prototypes, she emphasized that effective design requires moving beyond designers’ assumptions to truly understand diverse user perspectives.

Suchman’s work reshaped our understanding of how technology adapts to human behavior, especially in Interaction Design and Human-Computer Interaction. Her book, “Plans and Situated Actions,” challenged the traditional plan-driven model in cognitive science and AI, emphasizing the importance of situational action. This shift moved Interaction Design from technology-centered to people-centered, laying the groundwork for modern UX research and product design.

The Xerox Star made computers easier to use by replacing text commands with visual elements like windows, menus, and icons. This allowed people who were not computer experts to use the system more easily. Many of these design ideas are still used in today’s computers, phones, and tablets. Its focus on usability, clear visuals, and connecting different systems is a big part of how we use technology now.

However, designing for different devices (desktop and mobile) comes with unique challenges. On desktop interfaces, designers have more freedom in placing buttons and interactive elements, allowing for a more immersive experience. On the other hand, mobile design requires a stronger focus on usability, ensuring that interactive elements are positioned within easy reach of the user’s thumb to minimize effort.

One interesting but underutilized UI element is the pie menu, where options are arranged in a circular layout around a central point. Since each option comes from the center, users can reach any selection with the same amount of effort. Despite its efficiency, pie menus remain uncommon in UI design, mainly due to their unfamiliarity.

As designers, we must balance innovation with established user expectations. While new interactions can be valuable, users are already accustomed to certain patterns, and deviating too much can affect usability.

By applying these principles, I strive to design interfaces that feel natural, responsive, and effortless to use. Whether for desktop or mobile, incorporating Gestalt principles and Fitts’s Law ensures a more seamless user experience.

Lovelace, often regarded as the first computer programmer, had a visionary understanding of how computers could go beyond simple calculations. When Charles Babbage proposed his mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine, Lovelace was the first to recognize that it had applications beyond pure calculation. Her ideas were groundbreaking, laying the conceptual groundwork for modern computing at a time. However, as a woman in the 19th century, she faced immense challenges in gaining recognition for her work.

Lillian Gilbreth made significant contributions to human-centered design, pioneering the fields of ergonomics and efficiency. The eldest of nine children, she grew up in a wealthy household where her father—a builder and merchant, feared that an educated woman would become a school teacher instead of marrying rich men. While this was not necessarily a barrier, she had to navigate it. In 1914, she wrote The Psychology of Management, a book exploring the human side of workplace efficiency and productivity. However, the publisher insisted that her gender not be mentioned in publicity, fearing that a female author would not be taken seriously.

Lillian Gilbreth also broke new ground in two key areas: advocating for women in the workplace and designing for individuals with disabilities. Her influence extended into the future, mainly through her work on the Futuristik exhibit for IBM at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, which showcased forward-thinking ideas about technology and efficiency.

Lovelace and Gilbreth were ahead of their time, shaping how we think about technology, design, and human-centered solutions. Their visionary contributions remind us that innovation requires pushing boundaries and thinking forward. As a society, we have made remarkable progress relatively quickly. Still, their legacy challenges us to continue evolving, reimagining, and improving the world through thoughtful design and technological advancements.

Similarly, Apple and Android biometric icons communicate an essential concept—security. These icons, often represented by fingerprint or facial recognition symbols, giving a sense of protection and personal access. Just as the Maya glyphs required cultural knowledge to interpret, biometric icons rely on learned digital literacy.

Both systems rely on the human ability to recognize patterns and interpret meaning through visual symbols. While the Maya writing system was intricate and historical, today’s digital iconography aims for instant, universal comprehension.