We kept the async workflows. We kept the brutally honest error messages. We kept the accessibility defaults. But we threw away the panic.
Suddenly, users were on 3G connections in their backyard. They had a toddler screaming in one ear and a dog barking in the other. They were using a trackpad with one hand while holding a coffee in the other.
If you look at the history of software design, certain years act as "pressure cookers." 2007 (the iPhone) changed ergonomics. 2004 (Web 2.0) changed participation. But 2020? 2020 didn’t change technology. It changed context .