Loading and Early Computers
Figure 7. Loading Icons. From “Wait Wait…Tell Me!”, by 99%invisible, Retrieved from https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/wait-wait-tell-me/
In wanting to understand the design language of communicating wait times and how we got to where we are now, I went back to the first graphic representations of waiting; the loading bars on computers. Good (or bad) design can have a huge impact on perceived wait time and satisfaction while waiting, especially in a setting like computers were a 3 second wait while a page loads can feel like an eternity.
As Roman Mars says in the 99% invisible podcast ‘Wait Wait…Tell Me!’ “it turns out that design can completely change whether a five-minute wait feels reasonable or completely unbearable.” While a lot has been done to try and reduce wait times in this area, a lot of progression has also been made in improving the waiting experience itself.
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