Why was the demo by Douglas Engelbart and the team at SRI so important?
In Douglas Engelbart’s demo, many of the things he showed have become part of our world today. For example, the mouse is now widely used everywhere. He also demonstrated multiple windows, showing how one computer could handle many different tasks at once. Another example is hyperlinks, which allow users to jump directly to different pieces of content. He showed how computers could actually help people think.
What’s interesting is that human thinking isn’t linear — it’s more like a network that spreads out in many directions. In his demo, the computer was no longer just a tool for completing one task at a time, but something that could move and shift along with human thought.
I also noticed in the video that he demonstrated another device, similar to a keyboard, which was controlled by his left hand. Although this device didn’t remain in modern use, I think its idea is similar to many current interaction modes. He introduced a new concept — by pressing different keys simultaneously, users could perform different commands. This created countless combinations and possibilities, especially useful as we developed more complex functions later on. It also reminds me of keyboard shortcuts today — pressing multiple keys at once to trigger different actions. As designers, these shortcuts bring us great convenience.
Overall, his demo is truly worth watching carefully. There are many fascinating connections between how he interacted with the computer back then and how we interact with computers today.