The hottest User Interface Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

My Wish for Software Engineering

In My Tribe • 227 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. People shouldn't have to learn how to prompt AI; the AI should guide and prompt humans in plain English.
  2. AI can replace the business analyst by interviewing stakeholders, discovering the needed data and processes, and building data models and CRUD matrices from those answers, then use that to generate the application.
  3. If AI handles the analysis and prompting, non-programmers could build complex systems in plain English and avoid bloated, hard-to-learn legacy interfaces.

MicroTimes Interviews Borland's Philippe Kahn Again (1995)

Computer Ads from the Past • 1152 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Build small, focused products that do the core job well — slim, fast software is easier to distribute, download, and use than feature-bloated suites.
  2. The future lies in combining communications with computing: lightweight personal communicators, pager hubs, and reusable component architectures make simple, synced messaging and organization practical.
  3. Big-company mistakes (feature creep, unfocused acquisitions, and neglecting developer tools) can be avoided by prioritizing software craftsmanship, empowering small teams, and defending compatibility and interoperability.

2025: The year SwiftUI died

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 6122 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. UIKit has received recent updates, making it much more appealing for developers again. This improved version includes features that SwiftUI lacked, which might make some consider using UIKit over SwiftUI.
  2. AI tools have become more efficient, making coding easier and faster. This shift helps developers quickly write what used to be lengthy and complex UIKit code.
  3. SwiftUI has made progress but struggles with performance and capabilities compared to UIKit. Many developers are questioning if they should switch back to UIKit due to these ongoing limitations.

Plus Post: Integrated Micro Applications LTD's Keystar

Computer Ads from the Past • 512 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Keystar translates WordStar editing commands into plain English, making text editing simpler for users.
  2. The product is rooted in the early home computing era and connects to 1980s personal computing publications and retro software tools.
  3. The piece is distributed through a paid subscription model but can be offered as a free sample with an option to subscribe for more.

Poor Person Software's Write-Hand Man

Computer Ads from the Past • 512 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Write-Hand Man brought Sidekick-style pop-up utilities to CP/M, letting users call up a notepad, phonebook, calendar, calculator, file viewer and a communications tool without leaving their main program.
  2. It used memory-saving and swap-to-disk tricks so it could run in 64K CP/M systems, but that made it slow on floppy drives and could conflict with some modem programs unless you had a RAM disk or hard drive.
  3. Poor Person Software was an obscure small company that sold the utility at a modest price and had its product enhanced by Technical Micro Systems to add H/Z19 graphics and extra features.
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Secret SwiftUI: A practical use of _VariadicView

Jacob’s Tech Tavern • 2842 implied HN points • 10 Feb 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. The \\_VariadicView feature in SwiftUI helps create custom components like flexible tab bars and lists. It's useful for developers wanting more control over their UI elements.
  2. Finding real-world examples for \\_VariadicView can be tough, but it can significantly help in building complex UIs like chat applications.
  3. A specific application of \\_VariadicView is creating a reusable 'ChatList' component that manages scroll inversion, making it easier to handle messaging apps.

Tech companies are clamoring to re-buttonize their products

Taylor Lorenz's Newsletter • 3732 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Tech companies are bringing back physical buttons in their products. After years of relying on touch screens, people are realizing that buttons are often easier and more reliable to use.
  2. Touch screens can crash and are not as user-friendly when you can't look at them, making things difficult in situations like cooking or driving. Buttons allow for more control without having to focus on a screen.
  3. The desire for buttons indicates a shift in how people want to interact with technology. There’s a growing appreciation for the tactile experience and simplicity that buttons provide.

Flows Are So Back

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 22 Aug 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Graphs help show complicated data in a simple way. By using nodes and edges, you can easily see how everything connects.
  2. No-code tools let anyone, even those without programming skills, create complex workflows. This makes development quicker and more accessible for everyone.
  3. There's a growing need for tools that can organize and connect different AI flows. This would help everything work better together and solve problems more effectively.

Plus Post: Execucom MindSight

Computer Ads from the Past • 128 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. MindSight lets you ask a spreadsheet “what if” and quickly hop to the answer, making scenario analysis feel like a simple command.
  2. This is presented as a paid subscription post, but the piece also offers at least one free read or excerpt before you have to pay.
  3. The post uses a vintage MacUser image and retro computer visuals, suggesting a nostalgic look at older computing culture and ads.

Photon-Lines Tech Notes - July 2025

Photon-Lines Substack • 417 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. OpenAI encourages a culture where anyone can share good ideas, and teams can quickly adapt and change their focus based on new findings. This fast-moving style allows for exciting developments but also comes with challenges.
  2. Modern software often hides important controls, making it hard for users to navigate interfaces efficiently. Good design should prioritize clear and visible controls to help users easily find what they need.
  3. Beliefs are like complex webs of ideas, and changing one belief often requires rethinking many connected beliefs. This makes conversations about challenging beliefs tough, as people naturally defend their larger belief systems.

Intentions & Actions

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1082 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. People often come to computers with intentions, like wanting to watch a show or add a stop to a trip. But the actions needed to achieve those intentions can be confusing and hard to remember.
  2. When the computer does what we want easily, we feel amazed and grateful. But this happens less often because of complicated menus and actions we have to figure out.
  3. Kids find it easier to use technology because they learn quickly from their friends and practice a lot. They navigate digital worlds more smoothly, while others often struggle with the basics.

Gemini 3 and Google’s Antigravity Trajectory

Artificial Ignorance • 71 implied HN points • 19 Nov 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Gemini 3 is Google's latest AI model, showcasing impressive improvements in coding tasks and multimodal reasoning capabilities. It can analyze videos and generate user interfaces quite effectively.
  2. Google has launched Antigravity, a new IDE that emphasizes agentic coding, allowing developers to manage AI agents for coding tasks. It aims to enhance productivity by reducing the hands-on coding time required from developers.
  3. The competitive landscape in AI coding tools is evolving, with Google positioning itself strongly against rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI, emphasizing how agent-driven development could reshape the software industry.

Be Not Afraid: Gods, Monsters, and Generative AI

jonstokes.com • 154 implied HN points • 13 Jul 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. AI is just a tool, nothing more. It's not a god or the end of the world; it's like another stage in our technology growth, similar to the industrial revolution.
  2. Using AI should be like a search process where you drive the interaction. You're the one guiding the conversation or output, not the AI speaking to you like a human.
  3. We need to take responsibility for AI's impact. It can either help us improve how we communicate and create, or it can lead us to shallow experiences if we let it.

New Classic Updates are LIVE!

The Lunacian • 368 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. New game updates are here for Axie Classic, just in time for Season 8, with a lot of changes to explore before the regular season starts.
  2. There are two new quest modes: Starter Mode for beginners to earn rewards without needing Axies, and Guardian Mode for experienced players with tougher challenges and better rewards.
  3. Tower Mode has expanded with more levels, allowing players to earn stars and rewards as they progress, plus gear can now be equipped and upgraded to enhance gameplay.

chainEDGE 3.0 Is Live

Onchain Wizard's Cauldron • 137 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. The chainEDGE 3.0 update brings significant improvements for users, including enhanced UI and filtering options.
  2. The new version features tools like auto-filtering of low liquidity tokens and detailed insights into smart money swaps.
  3. chainEDGE 3.0 offers optimized token and wallet pages, along with a Portfolio God dashboard for sorting and filtering smart money holdings.

Moving From Natural Language Understanding To Mobile UI Understanding

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 11 Jul 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) helps machines grasp and respond to human language, making sense of unstructured conversations.
  2. The shift to Mobile UI Understanding means we are now focused on understanding what's on mobile screens instead of just conversations.
  3. The Ferret-UI model enables devices to interact with users in a more meaningful way, allowing for richer and more context-aware conversations.

HILL: Solving for LLM Hallucination & Slop

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 39 implied HN points • 23 May 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. HILL helps users see when large language models (LLMs) give wrong or misleading answers. It shows which parts of the response might be incorrect.
  2. The system includes different scores that rate the accuracy, credibility, and potential bias of the information. This helps users decide how much to trust the responses.
  3. Feedback from users helped shape HILL's features, making it easier for people to question LLM replies without feeling confused.

Improve Conversational UIs Using Social Intelligence

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 59 implied HN points • 09 Apr 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Social intelligence is important for conversational AIs to feel more human-like. It helps them understand emotions and social cues better.
  2. A good conversational UI needs to consider cognitive, situational, and behavioral intelligence. This means the AI should know what you mean, the context of your words, and how to interact appropriately.
  3. Using more data and different types of information beyond just words can help improve how AIs communicate. This could include things like images and gestures to understand conversations better.

The Promise of The Browser (Company)

alohomora • 176 implied HN points • 13 Aug 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. The Browser Company focuses on creating a user-friendly browser experience for all types of users, not just technical individuals.
  2. The Browser Company aims to revolutionize browsing by creating an 'internet computer' experience that provides seamless access to online content across devices.
  3. The Browser Company is strategically positioning itself to challenge browser market incumbents by leveraging branding, network economies, and switching costs.

Inactive GUI Controls: Show, Disable, or Hide?

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 23 implied HN points • 13 Nov 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. There are three main ways to show inactive UI buttons: keep them active but provide an error message when clicked, display them as visibly disabled, or hide them completely. Each approach has its pros and cons.
  2. Most users prefer seeing inactive buttons with a muted color instead of gray. It helps them know the option exists and gives them some context about its availability.
  3. Hiding buttons can simplify the interface, but it might frustrate users if they don’t realize a feature exists. They might feel lost or think the option doesn't exist at all.

Ronin Waypoint is LIVE on App.axie!

The Lunacian • 138 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Ronin Waypoint is integrated into App.axie, making it easier to switch between wallets. You can manage your assets without visiting other sites.
  2. There are no gas fees for up to 10,000 transactions daily when using Ronin Waypoint on App.axie. This helps save money while trading.
  3. A new UI card shows the status of your axies, including evolution and offering details. It makes tracking your axies much simpler.

Toasts and Theming

Pine • 19 implied HN points • 23 May 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Pine now gives you fun little toast messages when you keep a daily streak or reach card milestones. This helps give positive encouragement while you work.
  2. You can now customize the appearance of each deck with different themes and styles. This makes it visually unique and easier to switch between decks.
  3. Many improvements have been made to the user experience to make using Pine more enjoyable overall. This should enhance how you create and review your cards.

#2 - How to make a good text field

A Good Interface • 79 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. A good text field is displayed at the right time - only show it when needed, use alternatives like toggle switches or choice lists when possible.
  2. A good text field has clear label - make labels short, precise, and avoid overusing technical language.
  3. A good text field gives visual feedback - ensure visual cues like hover, active, focus states are properly incorporated to guide users.

#114 Sunshine design ☀️

Design Lobster • 239 implied HN points • 25 Jul 22
🪑 Design User Interface
  1. Anisotropic design describes virtual objects with appearances that change based on viewing angles, potentially revolutionizing user interfaces.
  2. In architecture, utilizing features like rotating roof-light covers can transform everyday actions like adjusting light into magical experiences.
  3. Great design, like well-placed sunlight on a building, has the power to enhance and reveal beauty in the environment, much like other forms of art.

Driving and Dragging Loops

the shimmering void • 116 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
🪑 Design User Interface
  1. Good design is all about drawing people in. If users don't want to engage with your work, it doesn't matter how good it looks.
  2. The early experience matters a lot. If users struggle at the beginning, they might give up, so make sure to guide them through the initial steps smoothly.
  3. Creating an engaging experience is like making music. It's about balancing challenges with rewards, helping users feel a natural flow as they progress.

2023 annual review of "A Good Interface"!

A Good Interface • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🪑 Design User Interface
  1. The writer quit their job, sold belongings, and traveled to create a game and explore, turning this journey into newsletter content.
  2. In 2023, the writer focused on sharing insights on UI/UX design for video games, posting consistently on Substack.
  3. For 2024, the writer plans to continue sharing design insights and personal project updates while aiming for reader interaction and feedback.

HCF EP 005: Cursor based pagination

Hasen Judi • 35 implied HN points • 04 Jan 25
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Cursor-based pagination lets you skip to the next set of results easily. It's better for large lists because it doesn't waste time reading and ignoring lots of entries.
  2. This method is more stable, as it remembers where you left off even if there are changes to the list. It's like using a bookmark to continue reading later.
  3. However, it has some downsides, like not being able to jump to a specific page directly, which might be less convenient for users wanting to skip ahead quickly.

Accessibility Has Failed: Try Generative UI = Individualized UX

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 89 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Traditional accessibility methods have not significantly improved computer usability for disabled users, prompting the need for a new approach like Generative UI for tailored user experiences.
  2. Accessibility has faced challenges due to high costs and ultimately creating a subpar user experience, especially for blind users with auditory interfaces.
  3. Supporting older and low-literacy users has been more successful with current methods, highlighting the importance of considering their needs alongside generative UI for wider user inclusivity.

How I Developed the 10 Usability Heuristics

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 75 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Jakob Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics were developed through factor analysis to explain a database of usability problems, with the final list chosen for its explanatory power.
  2. The initial heuristics in 1989 were based on opinion and teaching needs, while the refined 1994 list was derived through systematic research and factor analysis.
  3. The 10 heuristics have remained relevant for 30 years due to their grounding in fundamental mismatches between humans and machines, and their broad, general applicability across different user interfaces.

The ideal operating system

Fulton’s ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Consider using LISP machines as a potential alternative to modern UNIX systems.
  2. Eliminate the concept of local files and shift towards a global, decentralized storage system like IPFS.
  3. Develop a Notebook User Interface that integrates collaborative notebooks, applications, and websites into a seamless OS experience.

How to design better destructive action modals

UX Psychology • 79 implied HN points • 01 Nov 21
🪑 Design User Interface
  1. Error prevention is crucial in user interface design to enhance usability and prevent user mistakes.
  2. Using confirmation dialogs before destructive actions can help users understand consequences and avoid errors.
  3. Improving destructive action modals involves clear microcopy, visual cues for destructive buttons, and allowing users to undo actions or confirm through text input.

Understanding, explaining and simplicity

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 31 Jan 22
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Explaining something to someone else helps you see how well you really understand it. If you can break it down clearly, then you know it well.
  2. Simplicity is important in design and communication. To simplify, you need to break things down to their basic parts and only keep what is essential.
  3. Before adding more to a design or an idea, try taking things away first. This helps in understanding the core of the problem and making things simpler.

Excelibur

davidj.substack • 71 implied HN points • 17 May 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Excel scalability can be improved by integrating technologies like DuckDB for handling larger datasets.
  2. Enhancing data cleanliness through exposing hidden issues to the user for resolution.
  3. Implementing a full semantic layer in Excel could make data pulling easier and more secure.

Prompt Chaining

Cobus Greyling on LLMs, NLU, NLP, chatbots & voicebots • 19 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Visual Programming tools are being used to connect prompts in applications, making it easier to create conversational interfaces.
  2. Chaining prompts involves transforming and organizing data from responses to ensure better output and decision-making in AI applications.
  3. Good design of these tools includes making it easy to build, edit, and debug chains while also allowing users to interact flexibly with the AI.

Episode 37: Better Built By Burkhard

burkhardstubert • 19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🕹 Technology User Interface
  1. Choosing the wrong hardware, like an outdated HMI terminal, can lead to costly delays and complications in projects. It's important to think carefully before making these choices.
  2. Sticking with old software can create big problems. It can require more workarounds and ultimately slow down production, affecting overall business performance.
  3. Investing a bit more money upfront in quality hardware and software can save a lot of time and money in the long run. Planning ahead leads to easier work later.