How has the graphical user interface changed since the early Macintosh / Windows days? What has stayed the same? What needs to be improved now that technology has improved?
Since the early days of Macintosh and Windows, the graphical user interface (GUI) has gone through dramatic changes. Early interfaces were built with pixel icons and grayscale windows, later evolving into realistic, then minimalist, flat designs. These changes have always followed technological progress—higher resolution, faster processing, and more advanced interaction capabilities have expanded what designers can do.
Yet the core logic of GUI has stayed surprisingly consistent. Icons, windows, menus, and pointers still define how we interact with digital systems because they match how humans think and perceive. From desktop computers to smartphones, tablets, and wearables, this basic model continues to adapt rather than disappear.
Today, interfaces are becoming more personalized and flexible. Users can customize layouts, themes, and even use AI-generated adaptive interfaces. However, this flexibility also leads to sameness—many designs look polished but feel empty, lacking emotional connection or true usefulness.
I believe modern UI/UX design is facing a new bottleneck. Technology has advanced rapidly, but interfaces remain trapped within screens. The next step should be about blending interaction into real life—through AR, VR, voice, or spatial computing. What we need is not more information or visual effects, but interfaces that feel natural, empathetic, and meaningful—making technology part of life, not a barrier to it.