While reading A Brief Rant on the Future of Interaction Design, I didn’t really expect it to be this focused on hands. But the author makes a pretty solid point: for all our futuristic tech, we’re still weirdly okay with staring and tapping at flat glass rectangles all day. It’s kind of wild how little we think about how limited that is compared to what our hands are actually capable of.
What really stuck with me was the idea that “Pictures Under Glass” is basically a transition phase. We’re so used to touchscreens that we’ve stopped questioning whether they’re actually good. The essay really challenges that, and it’s kinda refreshing. It reminded me of how good tools should feel natural, like when you’re making a sandwich and your hands just know what to do without you even thinking about it. You don’t get that with a tablet or phone. You’re just poking at digital buttons.
I also liked how the author ties this all back to choice. Like, we’re not just being dragged into a touchscreen future, we’re choosing it, whether we realize it or not. That part made me think about design more like storytelling or world-building. We’re shaping how people live and interact, and that’s a big deal.
Overall, it was a fun read with a strong message to stop settling for tech that dulls our senses. Our bodies are way more capable than what current interfaces allow, and maybe the real futuristic thing would be tech that actually lets us do more and not less.
—————————————————————-
Reading the follow-up article helped me better understand where the author was coming from. It’s not just a complaint about modern tech, it’s a call to action. He’s not saying the iPad or touchscreen interfaces are bad. In fact, he even says they are revolutionary. The point is that we shouldn’t stop there. Just because something works now doesn’t mean it can’t be better.
What really stood out to me was the idea that technology doesn’t just evolve on its own. People make choices on what to build, what to fund, what to imagine. If we don’t invest in more expressive, physical ways to interact with computers, we’re basically choosing a future where everything stays flat and glassy.
I also liked how the author handled the voice interface discussion. Voice has its place, commands, quick info, etc. but when it comes to creating or understanding complex things, it falls short. You can’t sculpt a statue or sketch a design with just your voice. Some things require our hands, our bodies, our sense of space.
That quote from the neuroscientist about touch and brain development was super eye-opening. It made me think about how much we take our sense of touch for granted, especially when using digital devices. In the end, the response made the original rant feel less like a critique and more like an invitation to dream a little bigger about what our future tech could be.