Why did UI’s turn from practical to form over function?

E.g. Office 2003 vs Microsoft 365

Office 2003

It’s easy to remember where everything is with a toolbar and menu bar, which allows access to any option in one click and hold move.

Microsoft 365

Seriously? Big ribbon and massive padding wasting space, as well as the ribbon being clunky to use.

Why did this happen?

  • leekleak@lemmy.worldEnglish
    412·
    2 months ago

    Honestly I like ribbons quite a lot as a design framework and hell, even padding can improve the UX, it’s just a shame that neither of these elements have been used well in a decade.

    • gsfraley@lemmy.worldEnglish
      131·
      2 months ago

      Agreed. I’m sure if I was heads down in Excel for years beforehand it would be a significant downgrade, but as a casual user, making better use of some of the more advanced features became so, SO much easier with the Ribbon.

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        129·
        2 months ago

        In a world that loves to tout “efficiency” sprawling GUIs and mouse-click-everything has drastically reduced efficiency when a keyboard + shortcuts + macros are far more efficient.

        The further we stray from the CLI the further we stray from God. CLI-nliness is next to Godliness.

        • slurpeesoforion@startrek.websiteEnglish
          91·
          2 months ago

          Look to the atheist. He does not use the command line because he secretly believes. He does so because he knows it’s good.

        • oldfart@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          I’d like to use good GUI programs designed for using with a keyboard, but it seems touch UI is the main theme for bigger developers these days, and keyboard is an afterthought at best