So I was planning to do lots of research on the history of UX design to understand how we got to where we are today. Then I got the idea of using this prompt in ChatGPT 4.0:
Write a history of UX design in the style of the youtube video "history of japan" by bill wurtz.
Link to the video for those who haven’t seen it. And that was a lot more entertaining. I also used Midjourney to illustrate different parts of the story. So now this is more of a showcase of the state of generative AI.
Once upon a time, there was this thing called a computer. It was big, clunky, and super hard to use. But people were like, "Hey, this thing's pretty cool, let's make it better."
So, we got Apple, Microsoft, and other companies making computers more user-friendly. Enter: Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Now, people could click and point, and it was way less scary.
But, wait! There's more! The Internet showed up, and everyone was like, "WOW, this is amazing!" Websites became the new frontier, and everyone wanted a piece of the action. But, uh-oh, a lot of these websites were ugly and hard to navigate. Yikes.
Some smart people realized that design mattered. They started talking about User-Centered Design (UCD) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It was a pretty big deal. They said, "Hey, let's make technology work for people, not the other way around!"
Along came Don Norman, coining the term "User Experience" (UX). He was like, "Hey, it's not just about making things pretty. It's about how they work and feel, too!" People were like, "That makes sense!"
So, UX design was born, and it started growing up real fast. Companies realized that good UX meant happier users and more money. Designers were in demand, learning new tools and techniques to make their designs user-friendly and delightful.
Mobile phones arrived, and suddenly, UX designers were like, "We gotta make things work on tiny screens too!" Touchscreens became the new norm, and designers had to rethink how users interacted with technology using their fingers instead of a mouse.
Social media exploded, and everyone was like, "Now we need UX for apps and sharing and liking and tweeting!" Designers had to make sure people could connect, communicate, and share their lives without getting lost in the digital chaos.
But wait, it doesn't stop there! Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) showed up to the party, and UX designers were like, "Oh boy, we gotta design for a whole new world now!" They had to consider 3D spaces, immersion, and interaction in a way they'd never done before.
And the plot thickens! Artificial intelligence (AI) and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa came into the picture, making UX designers think about how to create natural, conversational experiences that didn't feel like talking to a robot.
Nowadays, UX design is everywhere, and it's super important. We've come a long way from those clunky computers and ugly websites, but there's always more to learn and explore.
So, here we are in the world of UX design, constantly evolving and adapting to new technologies, making sure that every digital experience is just right for the user. And who knows what's coming next? All we know is that UX designers will be there, ready to tackle whatever challenges the future may bring.
And that, my friends, is the history of UX design... so far.
I'm sorry, but this newsletter is lacking in substance. If you have nothing of value to share, just don't. Why throw some chatGPT rubbish into my inbox.