The paper by Smith et al. (1982) provides insight into the origin of modern personal computers. Specifically, it explores the first iteration of a computer work station created by the corporation Xerox in the early 1980s, which became so successful that it set the standard for the industry. Acquainting oneself with this paper is important in understanding why personal computers today are similar despite being designed by different manufacturers. The most important aspect of this article is that the reason behind Star’s success lies in the utilization of sensory information in user experience.
Xerox’s understanding of user experience stemmed directly from the way people interact with the outside world. In essence, computer user experience reflects larger patterns involving seeing, hearing, and touching. This is why modern human-computer interaction is so simplistic and effective – it accounts for individual perception, namely, “psychological factors related to users’ thought processes, feelings and behavior” (Alves et al., 2020, p. 1). The goal of software and hardware developers is to make the overall user experience as simple to use as possible since the simplicity will determine how quickly a new user will learn a new interface.
Xerox’s Star was effective because it transformed the inconvenient human-computer interaction into an intuitive experience. A user could use their eyes to see the desktop, hear the system sounds, and interact with the computer via clicking the mouse and touching the keyboard. Xerox started a “visual language” trend in the development of user interfaces, which continued into contemporary period (Bollini, 2017, p. 100). Overall, this paper informs the audience that it is important to consider sensory perception when creating visually engaging interfaces, which appeal to users.
Reference List
Alves, T. et al. (2020) ‘Incorporating personality in user interface design: A review’. Personality and Individual Differences, 155, pp. 1-10.
Bollini, L. (2017) ‘Beautiful interfaces. From user experience to user interface design’. The Design Journal, 20(1), pp. 89-101.
Smith, D.C. et al. (1982) ‘Designing the Star user interface‘. Byte, 7, pp. 242-282. Web.