The Best Interface is No Interface

GUI to VUI and NO UI? The future of interface.

Yuneui (Yunnie) Choi
4 min readMay 4, 2018

Say goodbye to your screen!!

The user interface is the technology which can helping interaction between human and machine. The user interface consists of a keyboard, mouse, technology of touch menu, button, label, etc. Currently, we are addicted to the screen which provides us tremendous of contents. Samsung and Apple removed the Home button on their Smartphones and Apple already remove earphone jack. Some of the physical points are getting disappeared. Maybe in the future, the only screen will be remain. And then? What will happen?

The remarkable development of Artificial Intelligence and Voice recognition, people predict that ‘No interface’ will be the core technology in the world. For example, in the movie ‘HER,’ the main actor doesn’t type when he wants to talk with Samantha just using his voice. And in the Netflix drama ‘Black Mirror’ the main actor opens the door without handle and control screen with simple gestures. They ‘talk’ and ‘act’ and computer read this text and context, after then, they respond.

The more technology engages in our life; people want the more comfortable way of control technologies. Accordingly, the design of user interface should be improved.

Movie ‘Her’ — Official Trailer
Netflix ‘Black Mirror’ — Fifteen Million Merits

Zero touch — Voice recognition

Hey Siri, How’s the weather today?

What I do every morning is asking today’s weather to Siri, my smart secretary. Without any touch, I can receive information what I asked. Voice recognition system including a smart speaker and smartphone is familiar with our life.

Zero-touch means the direct communication between human and machine without the mediator. Nowadays, Smartphones reborn as an AI phone. It can manage me all information including my relationship, habit and life pattern with the Big data system. Every digital product can understand what users are saying and responding what we exactly want. Especially, due to Deep learning and Machine learning machine can fully understand users’ needs. Therefore, ‘Voice’ will be the core technology interface.

Facial recognition

Apple — Introducing Face ID
Apple — Unlock

Next one is facial recognition such as Apple face ID. Apple removed the home button and released Face ID system so that we can unlock our phone without touching.

In ‘tbc-france website’ they explained that questions about privacy prevail as in all areas of surveillance, but in an increasingly volatile and busy world, the benefits of using this technology for good are endless.

Gesture recognition

My first gesture control to the digital product was Screenshot function in Samsung Galaxy smartphone. When I swipe using my hand, it recognized my gesture and captured it.

FIBARO Swipe — Home Automation gesture Control Pad

This is FIBARO SWIPE. The FIBARO SWIPE is a revolutionary gesture-control pad that provides control over home automation devices within the FIBARO ecosystem without actually touching anything. The control is made possible by associating a gesture to a command. The placement and possibilities of the FIBARO Swipe are truly endless. It’s already using really great sensors and cameras and different technologies to use gesture control and recognition.

I think there’s an opportunity to controlling all Home IoT products such as smart TV and the other things with gestures. Also, it can be applied to cars and games.

Who will want to use it and who need this?

Can everyone associate same gesture with specific action?

Thinking recognition?

If AI technology is getting more developed, AI can recognize not only image and movement but also brainwave so that it can deliver human’s thinking. Therefore, without using speakers or glasses, we can control everything that we thought.

How about this?

Our eyes could be the future of interface!

Black Mirror — The Entire History Of You

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Yuneui (Yunnie) Choi

I’m a service experience designer who loves innovative technology, human-centred goodness and collaborative work. Currently based in Seoul, South Korea.