A nostalgic but substantive argument for reviving idiomatic design in web software. The author contrasts the consistency of the desktop software era (Windows 95–7), where OS-enforced GUI conventions created homogeneous interfaces, with today's fragmented web app landscape where every product reinvents its own interaction patterns. Two root causes are identified: the mobile transition forcing awkward desktop/mobile hybrids, and the explosion of frontend frameworks that bypass HTML idioms. Apple and Substack are cited as modern successes that enforce strong design systems. The post closes with eight practical rules for product builders to follow design idioms more closely, from using semantic HTML elements to preferring words over icons.
Table of contents
Design IdiomsHomogeneous InterfacesThe Desktop Software EraThe Browser Software EraThe Success of Idiomatic DesignWhat is One To Do?Sort: