Humane Interfaces

So there I am reading Unsung when I come across this quote from Jef Raskin:

An interface is humane if it is responsive to human needs and considerate of human frailties.

This articulation perfectly captures why I recoil at modern “growth tactics” in user interfaces and experiences: they are designed to exploit human frailties, not be considerate of them.

Stated again: a humane interface — or a humane system, even a humane technology — is considerate of human frailties. It acknowledges they exist and works with them, rather than taking advantage of them.

Humane technology does not rely on impulse, addiction, or imposition to survive.

It survives purely on the free choice of its user.

You choose to use it because you have the freedom not to.