Monte

James and I were having dinner at Pei Wei this evening, and we got to talking about our future careers. I assumed I had already chosen my future path: I’d go to school and study Web design, graduate, and do just that, make Websites. But the more involved I get with technology, the more I realize that I do have other interests beside Web design. I told James some of these interest, and the half grin on his face said, “Wow. He’s even more of a geek than I thought.”

One particular thing I’m interested in is GUI (graphic user interface) design. Sometimes when I’m bored, I like to open up Photoshop and pretend like I’m designing the next version of the Windows operating system (it wouldn’t be too hard to do better). But more than just pure cosmetics, I like rethinking how we interact with computers. Microsoft spends millions of dollars in research and development; specifically, they research how computers and software make people feel. I’m not sure that the general population knows this, but the XP in Windows XP actually stands for “experience.” Windows XP was really the first operating system Microsoft delivered that incorporated a lot of Microsoft’s user experience research. For example, there’s the extensive use of color. The task bar is a deep blue, the Start button a friendly green; icons are bright and colorful, etc. And then there are the task-based menus and the little yellow dog to help guide you through file searches. The goal was to create an operating system that is, as Microsoft calls it, “expressively human” and makes users actually enjoy interacting with their computers. Whether or not Windows XP actually achieves this goal is a matter of opinion. Windows Vista, the next major OS update, extends the concept further. The very definition of the OS’s name is “a pleasing view.” In Microsoft’s marketing material, the new search capabilities and visually appealing interface is said to help “bring clarity to your world.”

Okay, so that’s a bit much; Microsoft’s marketing department can be a little overzealous sometimes, but the engineering and research that goes into creating a beautiful, engaging, and user-friendly experience between human and machine is nevertheless fascinating.

My favorite Website for GUI design and history is the GUIdebook.