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Best GUI, HCI & interface history videos, as recommended on Hacker News

73 videos about gui, hci & interface history that Hacker News commenters keep recommending, mentioned between 2007 and 2026. Mostly demo, talk, interview. Channels that come up most: Computer History Museum, TheTedNelson, Colin McDonnell, TED. Sorted by how consistently HN recommended them over the years.

The most recommended is Bret Victor - Inventing on Principle: It is HN's go-to recommendation for the case that programming environments should give instant feedback, and it appears in nearly every thread on live coding, visual programming or developer tools.

• talkBret Victor - Inventing on PrincipleRui Oliveira · 12 HN recommenders · 2013–2025
• talkBret Victor The Future of ProgrammingJoey Reid · 12 HN recommenders · 2017–2026
• tutorialA Tour of the Acme EditorRuss Cox · 11 HN recommenders · 2012–2026
• demoAlan Kay's tribute to Ted Nelson at "Intertwingled" FestivalTheTedNelson · 7 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• demoThe Mother of All Demos, presented by Douglas Engelbart (1968)Marcel · 8 HN recommenders · 2013–2026
• talkAlan Kay: Doing with Images Makes Symbols (Full Version)Kenneth Friedman · 8 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
• lectureIn Search of TomorrowBerkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) · 9 HN recommenders · 2015–2018
• talkBret Victor - The Humane Representation of ThoughtColin McDonnell · 4 HN recommenders · 2017–2025
• demoEric Bier Demonstrates CedarComputer History Museum · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• demoIvan Sutherland Sketchpad Demo 1963Interface Studies · 5 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• explainerMouse Cursor History (and why I made my own)Posy · 4 HN recommenders · 2022–2026
• talkAlan Kay at OOPSLA 1997 - The computer revolution hasnt happened yetJeff Gonis · 6 HN recommenders · 2013–2025
• interviewSteve Jobs, "Computers are like a bicycle for our minds." - Michael Lawrence FilmsMichael Lawrence · 5 HN recommenders · 2010–2025
• demoTed Nelson demonstrates Xanadu Spacephotonhunter · 5 HN recommenders · 2011–2022
• demoSymbolics Lisp Machine demo Jan 2013Kalman Reti · 5 HN recommenders · 2014–2024
• talkBret Victor - Seeing SpacesColin McDonnell · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2024
• demoAlto System Project: Dan Ingalls demonstrates SmalltalkComputer History Museum · 3 HN recommenders · 2020–2025
• demoHead Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemoteJohnny Lee · 3 HN recommenders · 2010–2026
• commentaryWindows 8: The Animated Evaluationblogphilofilms · 3 HN recommenders · 2012–2015
• explainerXanadu Basics 1a - VISIBLE CONNECTIONTheTedNelson · 3 HN recommenders · 2018–2021
• talkBret Victor - Media for Thinking the UnthinkableColin McDonnell · 4 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• demoSketchpad, by Dr. Ivan Sutherland with comments by Alan KayDavid Carroll · 3 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• commentaryThe GUI should be better. A lot better.Accursed Farms · 4 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• interviewTed Nelson in Herzog's "Lo and Behold"TheTedNelson · 3 HN recommenders · 2017–2022
• talkBret Victor - Drawing Dynamic VisualizationsColin McDonnell · 3 HN recommenders · 2021–2025
• commentaryComputers for Cynics 0 - The Myth of TechnologyTheTedNelson · 3 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• demoAvi Bryant demos Dabble dbTavis Rudd · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2023
• demoCode Bubbles: Rethinking the User Interface Paradigm of Integrated Development EnvironmentsAndrewBragdon · 2 HN recommenders · 2011–2024
• demoDaniel Henry Holmes Ingalls Jr.: The Live Web. Drag 'n drop in the cloudJSConf · 3 HN recommenders · 2016–2026
• demoNeXT vs Sunhoffman60613 · 3 HN recommenders · 2015–2026
• talkJoe Armstrong & Jeremy Ruston - Intertwingling the Tiddlywiki with Erlang | Code Mesh LDN 18Code Sync · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• demoNeXTSTEP Release 3 Demoblatherskyte · 3 HN recommenders · 2007–2016
• demoLotus Improv for NeXT 1990Thierry Hubert · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2026
• demoApplied Sciences Group: High Performance TouchMicrosoft Research · 3 HN recommenders · 2012–2024
• demoSelf: The Movie;Jecel Assumpção Jr · 2 HN recommenders · 2013–2024
• demoAlan Kay Demos GRaILVincent Gable · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2025
• talkShawn Douglas - Nanoscale Instruments for Visualizing Small Proteins & Bret Victor - DynamiclandForesight Institute · 2 HN recommenders · 2022–2023
• talkHere I Stand, at Age 80TheTedNelson · 2 HN recommenders · 2017–2019
• interviewSusan Kare explains Macintosh UI ergonomics on the Computer Chronicles (1984)erg0steur · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2022
• lectureNeWS: A Networked and Extensible Window System, lecture by James GoslingComputer History Museum · 2 HN recommenders · 2020–2024
• talk"Eve" by Chris GrangerStrange Loop Conference · 2 HN recommenders · 2016–2023
• demoDabble DB demokrueggen · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2018
• talkMIX08 Microsoft Office 2007: The Story of the Ribbonzoobean · 2 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
• demoTouché: Enhancing Touch Interaction on Humans, Screens, Liquids, and Everyday ObjectsDisneyResearchHub · 2 HN recommenders · 2012–2025
• talkAlan Kay: A powerful idea about teaching ideasTED · 2 HN recommenders · 2009–2024
• documentaryThe Computer Chronicles - Hypercard (1987)The Computer Chronicles · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2025
• demoLeap Technologyaamoviebb · 2 HN recommenders · 2014–2026
• documentaryDouglas Adams - HyperlandUJ ObscureMedia · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2020
• demoThe Lost 1984 Video: young Steve Jobs introduces the Macintoshmacessentials · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2021
• demoAlternate Reality Kit by Randall Smith at Xerox PARC 1986 (VPRI-0131)Yoshiki Ohshima (大島芳樹) · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2021
• interviewTed Nelson struggles with uncomprehending radio interviewer, 1979TheTedNelson · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2024
• talkTed Nelson's Eulogy for Douglas EngelbartComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2018–2025
• demoWelcome to Project SoliGoogle ATAP · 1 HN recommender · 2015–2019
• talkAre we stuck with the same Desktop UX forever? | Ubuntu Summit 25.10Canonical Ubuntu · 3 HN recommenders · 2025–2026
• talkSteve Jobs Introduces the MacintoshComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2024
• demoAlto System Project: Larry Tesler demonstration of GypsyComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2021–2025
• demoLive ClojureScript Game Editoribdknox · 1 HN recommender · 2012–2016
• demoApple's Future Computer: The Knowledge NavigatorBlake Patterson · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2024
• comedy"Silicon Valley Story" — a Very Short Romantic Comedy by Ted NelsonTheTedNelson · 1 HN recommender · 2017–2020
• demoXerox Star User Interface (1982) 1 of 2VintageCG · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2024
• talkMacworld San Francisco 2000-The Mac OS X Introduction (Pt.1)JoshuaG · 1 HN recommender · 2012–2026
• demoYesterday's Computer of Tomorrow: The Xerox Alto │Smalltalk-76 DemoComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2020–2025
• interviewBill Atkinson: Polaroids showing the Evolution of the Lisa GUIComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2025–2026
• talkMIX08 Microsoft Office 2007: The Story of the Ribbon (1 of 10)creativecrewchannel · 1 HN recommender · 2011–2020
• interviewDouglas Engelbart Interviewed by John Markoff of the New York TimesComputer History Museum · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2018
• talkThe thrilling potential of SixthSense technology | Pranav MistryTED · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2023
• demoLonghorn conceptArkmage2 · 1 HN recommender · 2009–2019
• interviewBill Atkinson: HypercardTWiT Tech Podcast Network · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2025
• commentaryComputers for Cynics 2 - It All Went Wrong at Xerox PARCTheTedNelson · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2023
• demoCanon CatStoria Informatica · 1 HN recommender · 2016–2024
• talkVCF East: Xerox Star vs. Apple LisaVintage Computer Federation · 1 HN recommender · 2023–2026
• demoNeXTSTEP Release 3: A Demonstration with Steve JobsJoseph Spiros · 1 HN recommender · 2022–2026
• talkInventing the Computer Mouse | Douglas Engelbart | Talks at GoogleTalks at Google · 1 HN recommender · 2014–2018