The potential of an interactive world lies in extending ourselves as humans, making the complex simple and the unknown accessible.
Thousands of years ago, in a perplexing and ever-changing world, a being aware of its existence appeared for the first time. Why was it there? What was everything around it? No one knew.
We will call this being Bruno. He had no choice but to explore, though fear accompanied him. The unknown paralyzes, and for Bruno, being the first in an unexplored world was terrifying.
However, exploration was inevitable. And there is no better way to do it than by interacting with his environment. Bruno discovered smells, textures, and sounds. He understood that he could communicate with the world in simple and enriching ways.
This discovery marked the beginning of a long journey that brings us to today. A journey where we have created not only new ways of interacting but also new realities.
Our relationship with machines also began from the basics. The first computers were complex: they only responded to written commands, and there was no mouse. One had to learn a technical language to interact with them.
In 1968, Doug Engelbart presented the famous “Mother of All Demos.” It was a visionary demonstration that introduced the mouse, windows, and hyperlinks. This event marked the beginning of modern interaction with machines. It was a preview of a future we now take for granted.
Over time, graphical interfaces revolutionized the way we use computers. Icons like folders, papers, and floppy disks helped simplify what was once abstract. The floppy disk, although obsolete, remains the universal symbol for saving files.
Prototipo del primer mouse, 1968.
The potential of an interactive world lies in extending ourselves as humans, making the complex simple and the unknown accessible.
Today, we interact with machines in ways that once seemed like science fiction. We can speak to them to turn on lights or control devices with a gesture. Voice, touch, and virtual commands have merged to eliminate physical barriers.
However, each technological advance brings new challenges. The main one is designing interactions that feel natural. Is touch always the best option? Or will voice or even direct thought be more efficient? Designing interfaces that everyone can understand effortlessly is both a technical and philosophical challenge.
An example of this challenge is how we adopt symbols and conventions. The floppy disk icon isn’t obvious, but we’ve learned to associate it with saving files. The same goes for shopping carts or envelopes for emails. Every new technology needs to create its own language that is universally understandable.
Immersive technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality are creating entirely new worlds. In these spaces, the rules of the physical world don’t always apply. How do you move in a zero-gravity environment? How do you interact when time is relative?
For these new realities to be accessible, they need clear rules. The design must be so intuitive that no one needs a manual to understand how to move or act. When interaction is natural, these worlds become extensions of ourselves.
The future of interactivity
Artificial intelligence will be key in mediating our future interactions. Virtual assistants no longer just respond to commands; they now anticipate our needs and adapt the interfaces to our preferences. This level of personalization makes the digital world both more powerful and human at the same time.
The true potential of an interactive world lies in its ability to extend us as human beings, making the complex feel simple and the unknown accessible. Just as Bruno faced the physical world, we now confront a constantly evolving digital universe. What will we discover tomorrow?
We can only imagine.
