In the early days of modern computing (starting from the 1930s~), computers were a tool for the nerds, by the nerds. Functionality took precedence over anything else. As time progressed, crazy innovations were happening in Silicon Valley. The Xerox Alto (1973) was the first computer with a Graphical User Interface (GUI). However, it took a few more years to popularize personal computing with the introduction of the Altair 8800 (1975), Apple II (1977), IBM 5150 (1981), and more rapid innovations by the pioneers. 

Looking back in the history book, we will find “The Mother of All Demos,” where Douglas Engelbart showed concepts ranging from mouse, windows, and hypertext to video conferencing back in 1968! In 1945, Bell Labs also hired John E. Karlin, an industrial psychologist, to build a team tasked with designing various telephony user interfaces. This team was known as the “Human Factor” team as they tried to bring human perspectives apart from just engineering feats into the product.

Since those days, this field has been given various names, including but not limited to Man-Machine Interface (MMI), User-Friendly Systems, Human Factors, Ergonomics, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User-Centered Design (UCD), Usability / Usability Engineering, and many more.

The birth of the term “UX Design”

It was 1993 when Apple hired one cognitive scientist, Donald Arthur Norman (also known as Don Norman), as an Apple Fellow. He created the ‘User Experience Architect’s Office’ at Apple and formally introduced the term UX Design. Before this (1988), he published one of the most influential and primary books in the field called ‘The Design of Everyday Things’. 

By the definition Don Norman gave, we can see that he created an umbrella term. Don Norman also popularized the concept of user-centric design in the book ‘User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-computer Interaction’, published in 1986. 

People with similar views like to distinguish the overall user experience from User Interface and Usability. User Interface is one of the parts of the experience. Usability is one of the quality attributes of that user’s experience. 

Also, we can not “actually design” User Experience as it is highly subjective, and people may have different experiences using the same design based on different contexts. We can design various components, including the “Interface”, interaction with the system, or the content. 

The boom of User Interface

In the primitive era, computers were as large as a room, and the interface was physical dials, knobs, punch cards, etc. From there, it evolved into various forms, including text-only consoles, graphical interfaces with mouse pointers, and multi-touch to gesture-based interactions.

The early 2000s saw a rapid boom of innovations in the web, mobile devices, and interactive technologies. People quickly realized that to give a better experience and separate themselves from the rest of the competitors, they need to create an experience that not only feels good or works well but also looks good. Many folks saw an opportunity here and focused their careers on designing user interfaces. This was a mix of people with previous experience in graphic design, coding, or other fields. Giving birth to the field called User Interface Design.

The redefinition of Product Design

The roots of product design extend far back before the emergence of digital design. Though the term “product design” gained prominence in the mid-to-late 20th century, the underlying principles had been in practice for much longer. In the mid-20th century, universities introduced programs dedicated to product design, setting it apart from purely engineering-driven disciplines.

Unlike the term ‘UX Designer’, it is difficult to pinpoint a single person or company that definitively started the widespread use of the “Product Designer” role for digital products. It was a gradual shift influenced by multiple factors. With the introduction of the iPhone, people started calling software as applications or apps. Then, startup people renamed software as digital products or simply just products.

Further Readings…

• The Definition of User Experience (UX) – Don Norman & Jakob Nielsen
• UX Vocabulary Inflation  – Jakob Nielsen
• The History of User Interfaces 
• The term “UI/UX” is bad for designers; 4 reasons to stop using it | by Scott Kiekbusch | Bootcamp – Scott Kiekbusch