Here are a few ways to think about UI in order to understand why people shift UIs and where the world of UI design might be headed next.
From Static to Mobile
One major turning point in UI history was the shift from a static technology to a mobile on. From PCs to smartphones, essentially. Guy Turner, of Hyde Park Venture Partners, recently blogged about the difference, saying: The problem? No one knows for sure what the next UI after touch is. But there are two frontrunners.
Gesture vs. Voice
Gesture, however, runs into other problems. Voice UI is at least more useful and efficient, since it does not require someone’s hands to be free. You can’t flick a hand at a phone when you’re driving. Gesture UI might not catch on. Voice UI has its issues, but it might win out as the most natural, organic, simple UI for a post-mobile era.
The Future: Thought UI
Of course, the most natural and futuristic UI is yet to come: a totally thought-based interface. We just need to get accustomed to those brain chip implants. Remember those?
