Thread by @alienmelon

thoughts lately:
a very cool talk topic would be about UI that encourages casual interaction... like building tools that feel "low stakes".
sort of what casual games are to games, but casual tools and making UI spaces that encourage being creative without obligation...

i think people look back at early edutainment software or art tools (like creative writer) so fondly because it very much felt playful and low stakes (UI was colorful and cryptic). i also suspect MS Paint meant this too and that's why some of this stuff sticks around for so long.

so the way you design UI can very much encourage people to let their guard down, not feel intimidated by your thing, and start playing around by making something in it.
imo UI has an "atmosphere" and isn't always all about usability... the act of exploring is valuable too

comment i often get about the Electric Zine Maker is that it's therapeutic, and i think all this contributes to some people feeling that way.
either way, it's an interesting topic and it's fun to analyze these old tools and figure out why they mean what they mean to people.