If you think about the Windows operating system, probably the first element that comes to mind is the button that opens the “Start” menu. This small and iconic UI detail, first introduced with Windows 95revolutionized the way we interact with computers. Previously, the Start menu (born in 1992) was called “System”. Born from the need to simplify the use of the PC for non-expert users, this interface element, designed by Daniel Oranis still present today on Microsoft’s desktop operating system. Although it has changed shape, size and location in the Windows taskbar over time, its conceptual functioning has remained virtually unchanged over the decades.
How the button that opens the Start menu was born
Those who followed IT in the ’90s will remember it well: Windows 95 represented a turning point, and the credit went above all to the Start button. Microsoft even chose the famous song of Rolling Stones, Start Me Upto promote the launch of the operating system, a clear signal of the centrality of this new function. But the Start menu was not born from a mere marketing need, behind its birth there was a practical necessity: make Windows accessible to everyoneovercoming the difficulties encountered with the previous version, Windows 3.1which is notoriously difficult for common users.
It was he who planned this innovation Daniel Orana behavioral psychologist hired by Microsoft in 1992. Thanks to his background, Oran had a unique approach to design: he understood that software had to be intuitive enough to be used even by a chimpanzee. This vision came from his academic experiences: at Harvard, under the guidance of the famous behavioral scientist BF SkinnerOran had developed a project that aimed to teach chimpanzees the use of language through a primitive interface. Although the project was unsuccessful with chimpanzees, it provided Oran with crucial insights into how to build intuitive interfaces for humans.
When Oran arrived at Microsoft, the climate wasn’t the best. Windows 3.1 was considered difficult to use, and tests showed it: users struggled to complete simple tasks, often not even knowing where to start to launch a program. During one of these tests, an aerospace engineer at Boeing – defined by Oran himself «a rocket scientist» – it took him 20 minutes just to open a word processing program. This episode led Oran to conclude that the problem was not with the users, but with the Windows graphical interface.
The turning point came when in June 1993 Oran had the idea of create a single button that brought together all the main functions. The button was initially called “System”but this name turned out to be too technical and unappealing. Once renamed “Start” (in the Italian edition of Windows 95 it was called “Startup”), the button immediately became understandable and usable even without instructions. This change radically simplified the user experience, in fact revolutionizing it. Commenting on the choice of name for the new button, Oran reported:
“Start” was a replacement for my initial name, “System”. In usability tests, people were uncomfortable clicking a button with that name. I guess it sounded too technical or complicated. That’s why I changed it to “Start,” which I had also used in ClearView, the simplified shell I had designed previously. I wanted that menu to be the first step for the most common tasks, and “Start” was both a description and a suggestion. In usability tests, people immediately knew what to do.
Alongside the Start button, Oran introduced another crucial innovation: the taskbar. In Windows 3.1, users often didn’t know how many programs they had open, which led to system slowdowns and frequent reboots. The taskbar solved this problem by clearly showing which and how many programs were running. Originally designed as a series of tabs at the top of the screen, the bar was redesigned into a row of buttons to fit the small monitors of the time.
What Oran thinks about the “Start” button today
Oran left Microsoft in 1994, shortly before the launch of Windows 95, to continue his studies at Harvard. As we well know, his work has had a lasting impact: the “Start” button and taskbar have become central elements of the Windows experiencesurviving decades of technological evolution.
In an interview reported on the Harvard University website, Oran expressed satisfaction with his creation and the question «Is there anything you would add/change to the Start menu and/or taskbar today?”the father of the “Start” menu responded like this:
I designed the “Start” menu and taskbar in 1993 for a very different computing environment. Instead of gradually improving such an old design, I would try to come up with something that better serves today’s users.
