Interfaces were built for function first. Everything was boxy, text-heavy, and very direct. Buttons looked like buttons. Nothing was trying to look real or decorative.

Computers were new. People were still learning how to use them. The goal was clarity, not aesthetics.

• •Hard edges and sharp borders
• •Very limited colors
• •Text doing most of the work

Early interfaces were designed assuming users might have never used a mouse before.