Ctrl+C, V to Behaviour

In the 1980s, the personal computer emerged with a preliminary desktop interface. The graphic metaphors for the computers, such as icons of a folder and disk, floppy disk to the hard drive, exist these days. There is a menu bar at the top in a demo of the Macintosh desktop interface, which still is found in the latest Mac OS. Preserving the menu bar with an iconic bitten apple icon has made users feel natural and envision the probable command for several decades.

As preserving the menu bar in the Macintosh desktop, designs adapt to people’s habits and cultures, changing slowly. In the video of Xerox Star, the command for copying a file is: click the file by mouse, drag cursor to the destination, and press the copy button. Nowadays, we click the file and press Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, and then the duplicate shows up on the screen. I find the changed command is a result of limited space on the keyboard and laptop. However, the command minimized the key travel for less strain on hand using C and V, the keys next to each other.

As we envision future interaction with technology, there will be less demand for the physical site. The implementation of virtual and augmented reality would make people interact via voice or hand rather than typing keys. The interaction on mobile devices, such as press and hold shows options to copy or share, could be implemented. The UI graphics would be modified to present an appropriate layout with consideration of the eyes and, ultimately, human behavior. For reference, we could adopt the data and experiences accumulated by VR devices, which recognize the head’s movement. Ultimately, the research of human mental behavior will heavily affect the design.