From Amphitheaters to Apps: The Evolution of User Experience Podcast Por arte de portada

From Amphitheaters to Apps: The Evolution of User Experience

From Amphitheaters to Apps: The Evolution of User Experience

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 From Amphitheaters to Apps: The Evolution of User ExperienceLong before we had screens, scroll wheels, or skeuomorphism, we were already wrestling with what it meant to design for humans.Take the Roman Colosseum, for example.Built nearly two thousand years ago, this wasn’t just a feat of architecture—it was a carefully orchestrated user experience. The Romans didn’t just think about how to build it. They thought about how people would use it.They designed for easy access, with a ticketing system based on numbered entrances and a layout that could empty 50,000 spectators in under 15 minutes. The acoustics were finely tuned so the roar of the crowd carried across the arena, and shaded awnings (the velarium) helped protect people from the sun. Every detail was intentional.It was, in many ways, a masterclass in UX before UX had a name.UX Has Always Been About PeopleWe like to think of UX as a digital thing. But humans have been designing with users in mind since the first tool was shaped to fit a hand. Egyptian sickles curved to match the arc of an arm. Greek amphitheaters optimized for sightlines and sound. Roman roads were engineered for ease of maintenance—because someone had to clean them, after all.These weren’t just technical solutions. They were people-first designs.Even medieval cathedrals were built with experiential thinking. Architects considered the way light would filter through stained glass at different times of day. The experience of awe wasn't accidental.And while we’ll skip ahead now (you didn’t pick up this book for a lecture on Mesopotamian farming tools), it’s worth acknowledging this simple truth:UX isn’t new. Only the term is.The Digital ShiftThings changed in the mid-20th century. The rise of aviation and computing forced us to formalize our approach to usability. Mistakes became expensive—or fatal. So, human factors engineering emerged. We studied how people interacted with complex systems and tried to design those systems to be safer and more intuitive.It started in cockpits. Aircraft instrumentation had to be easy to read and understand under pressure. This wasn't about making things pretty. It was about saving lives. That pragmatic approach to human-centred design later shaped everything from microwave interfaces to early computer systems.Fast forward to the 1980s, and computing hit the mainstream.That’s when things really took off.At Xerox PARC, researchers introduced the first graphical user interface. Apple took it further with the Macintosh, turning computing from a tool for specialists into something everyone could use. Suddenly, usability wasn’t just a nice-to-have. It was a competitive advantage. And in 1993, Don Norman, while working at Apple, coined the term "User Experience."“I invented the term because I thought human interface and usability were too narrow.” — Don NormanThat moment matters. Because what Norman was arguing for was a broader view of design. Not just the screen. Not just the features. But the entire experience—from the first moment someone hears about a product to the support they receive after using it.“User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with the company, its services, and its products.” — Don Norman and Jakob NielsenIn other words, UX was never meant to be confined to wireframes and user flows. It was meant to be everything.UX Gets StrategicBy the early 2000s, UX had a seat at the table—albeit a wobbly one. Jesse James Garrett released The Elements of User Experience in 2002, which became a cornerstone for the field.Garrett didn’t just break UX down into layers—strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, and surface—he emphasized that it all starts with strategy. Before we push pixels or run tests, we need to understand user needs and business goals.That idea changed things.We weren’t just designing interfaces. We were shaping how people experienced products, services, and even entire brands. UX wasn’t just implementation. It was about shaping products from the very beginning, not just making tweaks at the end.And as agile methods took over, UX adapted again. We embraced faster feedback loops, closer collaboration, and more iterative design. We moved from long documentation to quick prototypes. From abstract personas to real user insight.By the 2010s, UX had grown up.Design thinking gained traction. Suddenly, UX was sharing the spotlight with business strategy. Service design entered the conversation. We weren’t just designing digital tools—we were solving human problems, often in messy, non-linear ways.UX vs. Everything ElseAs UX matured, we saw these disciplines emerge from within it. Our understanding of UX broadened, leading to specialization in areas like UI design, product design, service design, DesignOps, and even extending into marketing and customer experience.So let’s clear things up a bit:UI Design is about what the user sees and interacts with. Think ...
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