An interface is an environment of interaction.
And here, any mediums and their combinations are implied: textual, vocal, graphic, physical, virtual, mental, etc.
By setting different conditions within the environment, we define the rules for how users exist within it.
Some areas might be comfortable, others not.
Some may be accessible to all users, while others might cater to select groups.
Analogy — much like architecture defines how we move and interact with a physical spaces, an interface defines how we move and interact with digital ones.
As designers, our task is to create conditions of existence for UI — comfort and friction, capabilities and limitations, access and exclusivity, atmosphere and tone, accessibility — considering constraints and possibilities of the world we live in.
When we design an interface, we are setting various conditions:
- Comfort and friction. Guiding attention, signaling what is primary versus secondary within the interaction. Some paths are intuitive and effortless, others introduce resistance.
- Capabilities and limitations. Defining what can or cannot be done.
- Access and exclusivity. Some features may be universally available, while others are limited by roles, permissions, or expertise.
- Atmosphere and tone. Through aesthetics, motion, and language, the interface conveys an emotion — welcoming, playful, serious, intimidating, and more.
These conditions shape not just what users can do, but how user exist and behave within the system. A well-designed interface can empower, guide, and influence social dynamics (e.g., collaboration, competition, or individuality).
Various tools and principles can be of help in the design process.
Example of viewing an interface as an environment
Let’s take the statement: “Users are used to the logo leading to the homepage”. That’s true — on desktop web, this pattern exists. But it’s important to recognize that this is a convention, not a fundamental rule.
When we treat an interface as an environment, our perspective shifts. We begin asking why a behavior or element exists in the first place, and what other possibilities might look like, this takes us down to the level of basic interaction:
- What if clicking the logo opened a dropdown menu? What would be the consequences?
- Would users still be able to navigate if the logo opened a dropdown? Yes. But the side effect is that reaching the homepage now takes two clicks — a longer path.
- How important is the homepage? How often do users actually need it?
- Why place the dropdown in the logo at all? Could it live somewhere else? We should make layouts and see.
- Do we even need a dropdown menu? Let’s explore layouts without one altogether.
- Can we implement the dropdown well enough? If not, it’s worth looking more closely at alternative solutions.
- And do we even need a graphical interface? What if the user completed the task by voice?
And more. This kind of analysis generates multiple possible solutions (flows, rules, states, low- and high-fidelity layouts) for the problem we’re trying to solve.
In other words, when designing an interface, we should reason from first principles, not just by analogy. Seeing the interface as an environment helps with it.
Everything is conditional
And this brings us to an important idea: when designing an interface, everything is conditional. Users will try to satisfy their needs within the conditions available to them — the conditions we’ve created.
If the interface is complex and confusing, fewer users will reach their goal.
If the interface is simple and clear, more users will successfully reach their goal.
The intersection of UI with perception and branding
It’s important to note that the work doesn’t end with the logic aspect. There’s also the expressive dimension — how the product feels to use, shaped by visual design, motion, sensory cues, user expectations, and metaphor — and this is where branding plays a defining role.
For example:
- Banking app feels like a strict, rule-driven environment (controlled flows, limited flexibility, high friction for security).
- Social media platform feels like a dynamic, fluid environment (open participation, social norms shaping interaction).
- Creative tool feels like a workshop environment (tools available, space for experimentation, personal adaptation).