Design ((better)) — 2020 Software

When every meeting went virtual, captioning became mandatory—not just for the hearing impaired, but for the person whose kids were playing drums upstairs. Keyboard navigation became critical—not just for motor disabilities, but for the user whose mouse battery died and they couldn't find a AA battery anywhere.

If you look at the history of software design, certain years act as "pressure cookers." 2007 (the iPhone) changed ergonomics. 2004 (Web 2.0) changed participation. But 2020? 2020 didn’t change technology. It changed context . 2020 software design

Visual design shifted toward . High contrast. Large touch targets. No more tiny, gray, "subtle" text that required a magnifying glass. When every meeting went virtual

In 2020, that fantasy exploded.