I think what we are facing now are completely different challenges. AI is no longer a tool in itself, but a part involved in decision-making. For instance, the AI writing tools, recommendation systems, and even chat AI like ChatGPT that we are currently using often help us make choices and filter information. This means that what interaction designers need to consider is not only whether the interface operation is smooth, but also whether the system is fair to users, whether it misleads or overly relies on others, whether the content recommended by AI is objective, and whether it exposes users’ privacy. All these are questions we need to ask ourselves.

I think designers of our generation face more responsibilities than those in the blackberry era. What we do is not just interaction, but designing the relationship between humans and machines. I think we should polish the details as carefully as we did when making blackberry keyboards, and at the same time add a new sensitivity: Is the system transparent? Does the user have the right to choose? Is AI really helping people? These issues may seem significant, but in fact, every time we put an AI recommendation tag and every time we give users a button to turn off AI suggestions, it is part of responsible design.

I think this transformation has also changed the way designers think about interaction. They no longer only focus on efficiency, but also consider the feel, emotion and simplicity. The physical keyboard of blackberry aims at typing speed, but the touchscreen of iPhone introduces gestures such as swiping and zooming, making the interaction more intuitive and interesting. I think interaction design starts from here to be more human-centered. The goal is not just tools, but the overall experience.

The movie “blackberry” shows us how fast users’ expectations change. I think blackberry’s arrogance has led to an underestimation of people’s desire for a full-feature, touch experience, rather than just a business device. For today’s designers, the lessons of the iPod and iPhone era are clear: People not only want useful technological products, but also those experiences that can naturally integrate into life and bring a sense of pleasure. In conclusion, I think this is also the significance of interaction design, constantly changing and constantly innovating.

Today’s interactive changes
Today’s interaction is no longer solely based on clicks and inputs, but rather relies more on AI and algorithmic recommendations. In the past, one had to like, comment and share by oneself. Now, many applications will push content and generate recommendations based on personal habits, such as music platforms or video applications. Moreover, tools like Google Docs for multi-person collaboration have also transformed interaction from single-person operation to real-time cooperation among multiple people. I think these experiences have been constantly evolving on the basis laid by Web 2.0.

Designing for Connection
For the reading materials, Christopher Alexander’s patterns, like “Small Public Squares” and “Networks of Paths,” are surprisingly relevant to digital spaces today. A “small square” creates a welcoming, human-scaled space where people feel comfortable interacting, much like niche online communities. “Networks of paths” ensure that users can discover each other’s contributions through multiple routes, whether through tags, feeds, or search. So I believe these patterns remind us that good social design is not just about features, but about creating spaces where meaningful connections can happen.

In the 2000s, especially after the release of the iPhone in 2007, touch interaction became mainstream. GUIs transitioned from mouse control to gesture-based (touchscreen) control, and design styles shifted toward minimalism. After 2010, responsive design became widespread, allowing interfaces to adapt to different screen sizes. Despite changes in appearance, core design principles like user-centeredness, clarity, and usability have remained consistent. Menus, icons, and file systems are still foundational elements.

However, modern interfaces often face complexity issues. Many applications are overloaded with features and have confusing structures, making them hard to use. With technological advancements—especially the rise of artificial intelligence since 2023—GUIs now have the potential to become smarter and more personalized. Designers should prioritize simplicity, visual hierarchy, and user behavior in order to create more effective and refined interaction designs.

Suchman’s insights helped shift the focus of technology design to user-centered design, where designers should study real user behavior before creating a product. And she believes that designers should not make assumptions about how people will use technology, but should observe users in their natural environment and interact with them to understand their needs. This approach has influenced modern interaction design, giving birth to methods such as anthropological research, usability testing, and iterative prototyping, enabling designers to create products based on real user experiences that are also better.

Today, her ideas are a core part of interaction design. Designers now rely on continuous user feedback to improve products, ensuring that products fit the way people actually work, rather than forcing users to adapt to technology. I also think this is a great character.

Another major innovation was WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing, which meant that documents on the screen looked the same as they would when printed. This was a huge improvement for word processing and design software. The Xerox Star also supported networking, enabling file sharing and email communication, which was rare at the time but later became essential in office environments. Additionally, it incorporated object-oriented software design, making applications more modular and easier to develop.

Although the Xerox Star was not a commercial success due to its high cost, its ideas were adopted by companies like Apple and Microsoft. The Macintosh (1984) and Windows (1985) built upon these concepts, leading to the user-friendly interfaces we use today. Even though the Xerox Star itself is not well known, its innovations shaped modern computing and made technology more accessible to everyday users.

At a time when computers were used mainly for calculations, Engelbart envisioned them as tools for enhancing human intellect and collaboration. His demo introduced concepts that later shaped personal computing, the internet, and modern digital workflows.

Though underappreciated at the time, Engelbart’s ideas influenced Xerox PARC, Apple, and Microsoft, making his 1968 demonstration one of the most important milestones in technology history.

Gestalt principles help organize the interface visually, proximity groups related elements, similarity ensures consistency, and graphical backgrounds improve visibility. Fitz’s Law states that larger, closer targets are easier to hit, so buttons should have the right size and be placed in the right place. Use these two principles to create clean, efficient, and user-friendly designs.

By applying these principles, designers can create interfaces that are visually clear, efficient, and easy to navigate.

This symbol in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics also expresses communication, which more accurately means speaking or having a conversation.

They convey some information, wechat chat icon metaphor dialogue, very concise. The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, on the other hand, are very vivid descriptions of movements.

From this, I have learned that the icon design tends to be more specific, so that global users can understand it. In addition, ancient characters need to be decoded, while modern ICONS are based on universal cognition and have a certain cultural generation gap. Overall, modern ICONS draw on the simplification trend of ancient visual symbols, but place more emphasis on universality.