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> Obviously, the majority of computer users aren't toddlers, but I think there's a lesson here. I really miss the old Windows 3.1 / 95 / 98 days when controls were more or less standardized and you could reliably tell which were buttons, which were radio buttons, which were okay buttons, etc.

Agree.

Also: tooltip help when you hover over an icon.

Also: menus (for discoverability)

Also: manuals/help files (yep, most software shoudn't need one, but now we are in a worst-of-all-state: new software is not self explanatory, doesn't use familiar designs and the manual is gone :-/)



Sounds like reinventing the wheel and ending up with a square was not a great idea. Not a good sign for the tech industry when it starts going around in circles instead of advancing.


IMO human device interfaces have been going in circles ever since Doug Engelbart's demo in 1968.


Larger and larger circles to some degree (a large percentage of the earths population now have access to advanced technology.)


even better regarding discoverability: the macOS menu search, available under "help".




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