A Brief History and Journey of UI UX Design

People have always tried to make their lives easier and more comfortable, which has led to many inventions, from tools and machines to homes and transportation. While the term ‘user experience’ has become popular in recent years, its roots go back as far as 4000 BC in Chinese philosophy. One early example is the concept of ‘Feng Shui,’ which became well-known for focusing on harmony in living spaces.

People connect Feng Shui with user experience because both aim to create harmony between people and their surroundings. Feng Shui focuses on making homes or offices feel balanced, while UX design focuses on making digital experiences easy to use, functional, and enjoyable. Both work to improve people’s lives through thoughtful design and require an understanding of human behavior.

In this article, we’ll explore the history of UX and how it has changed over time. Why? Because looking back can help us better understand the concept and appreciate its value.

Feng Shui Philosophy (4000 BC)

Feng Shui is an ancient method and philosophy that has been used for thousands of years to create spaces that are comfortable, supportive, and balanced. It focuses on creating harmony by balancing two opposite but complementary forces, Yin and Yang. These forces are connected to the five elements — water, wood, fire, earth, and metal — known as Wu Xing.

One well-known aspect of Feng Shui is the bedroom setup. Feng Shui experts guide how to arrange beds, tables, chairs, and mirrors to allow energy to flow smoothly. The bedroom is considered the most important room because it’s where you spend a lot of time resting. When you sleep, you’re in a passive state, making you more sensitive to the energy in the room.

Ergonomics in Ancient Greece (500 BC)

Ancient Greece, known for its advanced society, showcased early UX thinking, particularly in ergonomics. Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato influenced Western thought, and their contributions to art, medicine, and technology were significant.

One of the earliest examples of UX design is attributed to Hippocrates in the 5th century BC, who emphasized the efficient arrangement of a surgeon’s tools for maximum accessibility. He advocated for tools to be easy to reach and unobtrusive, mirroring today’s goal in UX design of creating smooth and user-friendly digital experiences.

Taylorism: A Scientific Management Theory (Early 1900s)

Frederick Taylor introduced scientific management in the early 20th century to boost productivity through optimized work processes. In his 1911 book, The Principles of Scientific Management, he emphasized creating efficient production systems.

A famous example involved using a stopwatch to improve the loading of pig iron onto train carriages, nearly tripling output in a day. While “Taylorism” and “scientific management” are often used interchangeably, Taylorism is the foundational model that still influences businesses, the military, and sports today.

Fordism: Evolution of Mass Production (1973)

Fordism built on Taylorism to revolutionize mass production through assembly lines, introduced by Henry Ford at his Highland Park factory in the early 1900s. While Ford’s methods significantly boosted productivity, Taylor criticized him for reducing skilled workers to mere cogs in the machine.

The goal of Fordism was to produce affordable, standardized products for a large market.

For instance, in 1913, building a Model T took over 12 hours, but within six months, that time was reduced to just 1 hour and 30 minutes. This remarkable efficiency gave Ford a significant competitive advantage in manufacturing.

The Toyota Philosophy (1940s)

The “Toyota Way” emerged as a globally recognized framework for efficient production management, emphasizing operational excellence. This philosophy transcends specific tools; it’s about a holistic mindset towards quality improvement.

Developed after World War II amid resource constraints, the Toyota production system aimed to eliminate waste at every stage. Key figures like Toyoda Kiichiro, Ohno Taiichi, and Eiji Toyoda refined this approach from 1948 to 1975, creating a flexible manufacturing process that prioritized customer needs.

Unlike Ford’s rigid methods, Toyota’s adaptability parallels today’s focus on user experience (UX) design, emphasizing responsiveness to market demands.

Henry Dreyfuss and Designing for People (1955)

Henry Dreyfuss was a key figure in usability, advocating for “designing for people.” In his 1955 book, Designing for People, he highlighted the importance of logical, science-based design. He believed that designers fail when interactions create friction and succeed when products enhance safety, comfort, and happiness.

As an American industrial designer, Dreyfuss created iconic products like the Hoover vacuum cleaner, desktop telephone, and Royal Typewriter, significantly influencing daily life.

Today’s UX designers can learn from Dreyfuss by prioritizing user research and focusing on human-centered design to create products that truly benefit users.

Walt Disney — The First UX Designer (1966)

Walt Disney is often considered one of the first UX designers, envisioning technology as a way to enhance life through immersive experiences, which culminated in the creation of Disney World.

In July 1955, he opened Disneyland, paying meticulous attention to every detail for visitor enjoyment. He called his employees “Imagineers” and developed “Mickey’s 10 Commandments,” emphasizing principles like understanding the audience, storytelling, and avoiding information overload.

These guidelines reflect modern user experience (UX) design, showcasing Disney’s innovative approach to user engagement.

The Rise of Personal Computers (1970s)

In the 1950s, Bell Labs pioneered the integration of human factors in interactive systems, such as designing the telephone dial with psychologists’ input.

The landscape changed in 1974 when MITS launched the Altair, the first personal computer, gaining popularity among hobbyists. Around the same time, Xerox PARC introduced key innovations like the graphical user interface (GUI), computer mouse, and object-oriented programming, establishing the groundwork for modern PCs.

In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, the first mass-market personal computer featuring a GUI, built-in screen, and mouse. This innovation positioned Apple as a leader in UX design, emphasizing ease of use as a crucial factor in consumer choice for personal computers.

The Internet and the Growth of UX Design (1990s)

With the rise of the internet in the 1990s, UX design became its own field. Before that, people bought a computer and experienced either a good or bad UX with it. As companies realized that good UX led to more sales, they began to invest in it directly.

Don Norman and the Term “User Experience” (1980s)

Don Norman coined the term “User Experience” (UX) and was the first “user experience architect.” In his 1988 book, The Design of Everyday Things, he stressed the need to address user needs beyond aesthetics.

In the early 1990s, Norman joined Apple, where he helped popularize the UX concept, asserting that “human interface” and “usability” were too limited. He aimed to cover all aspects of user interaction, from design and graphics to functionality.

Later, as Vice President of Apple’s Advanced Technology Group, he co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group in 1998, continuing to promote user-centered design. Now 81, Norman remains active in UX research and teaches at UC San Diego, earning recognition as the “father” of cognitive engineering for his significant contributions to the field.

2018 and Beyond

Today, the UX field encompasses roles like user experience architects, designers, and researchers. Academic programs increasingly focus on the intersection of design, psychology, and science, reflecting the growing demand for UX professionals from diverse backgrounds.

With advancements in artificial intelligence, voice technology, and virtual reality, UX designers face new challenges daily. Concepts in interaction design that were once novel have quickly become mainstream, highlighting the rapid evolution of the field.

As UX continues to progress, it adapts to changing tools and methods — from desktops to mobile devices, mouse to touchscreens, and web to native apps — making it essential for professionals to stay current with emerging trends.

Conclusion

To create truly human-centered experiences, we need to understand how people work, which means paying attention to psychology. In recent years, our roles as designers have grown, and we now need to know not just how to create products and services but also why we create them.

As our relationship with technology changes, the study of user experience design will keep bringing new ideas, methods, and insights about how innovation can affect people’s experiences, making this journey exciting.

One thing in UX will always stay the same: people. Personally, I prefer to call them “people” instead of “users.” “People” are complex individuals living busy lives, seeking enjoyment, and sometimes feeling frustrated. The term “users” can be too general and easy to overlook. Let’s design for real people!