topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Thursday March 28, 2024, 5:44 am
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface  (Read 12151 times)

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« on: February 09, 2018, 09:06 PM »
The OSNews blog once again brings us a fascinating article on the modern history of user interfaces.  This time it's an older essay about the user interface design for Windows 95.

However you feel about Windows 95, there's no denying that its user interface is probably one of the most iconic and well-known user interfaces ever designed and developed. Literally everyone knows it and has used it, and it singlehandedly defined what a personal computer's UI should work like. It's incredibly fascinating to read about the thought processes behind its development.



from http://www.osnews.co..._95_s_user_interface

KynloStephen66515

  • Animated Giffer in Chief
  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2010
  • **
  • Posts: 3,741
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2018, 09:09 PM »
The OSNews blog once again brings us a fascinating article on the modern history of user interfaces.  This time it's an older essay about the user interface design for Windows 95.

However you feel about Windows 95, there's no denying that its user interface is probably one of the most iconic and well-known user interfaces ever designed and developed. Literally everyone knows it and has used it, and it singlehandedly defined what a personal computer's UI should work like. It's incredibly fascinating to read about the thought processes behind its development.



from http://www.osnews.co..._95_s_user_interface

The authors usage of the word "literally" bugs the hell out of me.

rgdot

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2009
  • **
  • Posts: 2,192
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2018, 09:22 PM »
In before someone posts that Mac did it first  :P

tomos

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Posts: 11,959
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2018, 03:02 AM »
A good read!

I've been intermittently teaching an older couple the basics on Win.7 the last few years. They were absolute beginners. Some of the findings in the article are still relevant e.g. they are very slow to use the context menu.

They also have problems with some of the improvements made in '95 e.g. do I double- or single-click here. (And don't talk to me about later 'improvements' like My Docs consisting of multiple locations.)

Re the design process:
I would love to be involved in a process like that - I love tweaking others' designs (they might not like it so much). There's  still a lot I'd change in Windows 10...
Tom

blackcrack

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2018
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2018, 03:26 AM »
makes more sense and would be more cool if be programming an Win95
surface for Reactos.org :)
and hey, Reactos it is on Github too.
still alpha but testable in a VM like VBox or something
and DailyBuilds be downloadable from the headpage right sided by the buttons  :)

best regards
Blacky

Deozaan

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • ***
  • Points: 1
  • Posts: 9,747
    • View Profile
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2018, 10:42 AM »
The authors usage of the word "literally" bugs the hell out of me.

Literally everyone misuses "literally" these days. :(


;)

fillipyang7

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2022
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Essay: Designing Windows 95’S User Interface
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2022, 03:37 AM »
makes more sense and would be more cool if be programming an Win95
surface for Reactos.org :)
and hey, Reactos it is on Github too.
still alpha but testable in a VM like VBox or something

best regards
Blacky
DailyBuilds be downloadable from the headpage right sided by the buttons