alt Hacker NewsBeyond the early MacOS UI/UX, I would look at pre-smartphone devices as well. Palm pilot, phones, etc. These will give you ideas on what you can accomplish with lower resolution UI screens.
For that matter, look at good TUI applications... (not the render path, but the result as a whole) ... blocking/spacing and clear controls, etc... though you'll be more touch, less tab/enter, etc. A TUI App renders by characters, but you can still learn from the overall layouts. Simplified menu lists with fewer items in a hierarchy, etc.
If you can and have physical buttons, think long and hard about their functions, especially if you have a limited number... these should do your most important things.
Early monochrome devices were largely liquid crystal rather than electrophoretic displays.
The key differences:
- LCD was far lower resolution, often element-based rather than pixel-based displays (though the latter also existed).
- Screen response is far faster, with no ghosting. Electropheretic refreshes tend to take time, particularly at higher-quality or colour settings. Modern LCDs are used in high-performance displays at 60--120 Hz refresh or greater. By comparison, a fast EP/e-ink display might reach a few herz, and many require a substantial fraction, if not more than a second, to fully paint.
- Contrast was low. LCD relies on polarisation filters which greatly reduces foreground/background distinction.
That's not to say that some lessons cannot be learned, but the media do differ.