JulianMar 18, 2024
Lea Verou, PhD

What a fantastic way to present #UIDesign history: The Evolution of the Scrollbar

Interactive scrollbars you can actually play with from the very first (Xerox Star, 1981) until 2015.
https://scrollbars.matoseb.com/

h/t @karger

Evolution of the Scrollbar

Some iconic scrollbars recreated as faithfully as possible.

Feb 9, 2024 at 2:35pmWeb
Show threadExcessive MinimalismFeb 9, 2024
@leaverou
They are even interactive!
Show threadGarrett WollmanFeb 9, 2024
@leaverou @karger Missing Athena Widgets, Motif, Gtk, …
Show thread⚙ARCFeb 9, 2024
@wollman @leaverou @karger and the final-form! the minimap:
Show threadsarnaFeb 9, 2024
@leaverou @karger unbelievable how much they took away from us
Show threadscreambiogenesisFeb 9, 2024

@leaverou @karger Imagine working at Apple/Microsoft post System 1-7 or Win 3/95 and being the scrollbar person. At first you despair, “How can I improve on that which needs none?” Then directives come down from management tasking you with making them uglier & worse.

If you survive the biannual layoffs long enough, you find that your final task is removing them entirely, replacing them with a semi-visible 8px-wide drag handle that pops out of the side of the window.

Show threadJason DidnerFeb 9, 2024

@leaverou @karger

The xerox '81 "down is up" didn't hold up too well. Good move to ditch that.

Show threadSalvatore ZappalàFeb 10, 2024

@leaverou @karger

The ones from the late 90s look great. I love Win 95 and Mac OS 8.

Interesting how AmigaOS was by far the first one to update the scrollbar during mouse dragging. Love it.