On User Experience

In the beginning, the user said, “I have no idea what I'm looking at here.”

And Steve responded, “A bicycle of the mind.”

And the user said, “I need two wheels to be a cyclist.”

And Steve smugly smiled, “Now, close your eyes and picture this.”

And he dashed a line for the horizon.

And circled where the sun should be

And dragged in the latest clip art of the iBike.

And he said, “Now, open them. Where do you want this to take you?”


That's how computers begin. Astral projection.

They end with subconscious muscle memory for flailing limbs at ludicrous speeds.

When you think about it, that is kind of like riding a bike. Balancing on two wheels seems impossible until you discover the one secret: momentum.

The key to balance is time over space: speed. The faster you move your mind in unison with the machine the more it makes sense for the bicycles of the body or mind.