Flattening the Curve: Rediscovering Web UI Through Historic Geometric Constructions (WHY2025)

Modern UI/UX design is rooted in centuries-old geometry. This talk explores how historic tools—from Greek constructions to Bézier curves— is still broadly used to solve real problems today. Through demos and visual examples, we’ll uncover practical, eye-opening methods that blend math, art, and design. No technical background needed—just curiosity. Prepare to rethink how we build and understand the visual world. Modern UI/UX design is built upon concepts much older than computers. This talk uncovers how ideas from the history of geometry continue to shape the ways we define and render interfaces today—while also revealing a deeper story: how practical mathematical problems, from antiquity to today, have been approached not with algebra, but with the elegance of geometric construction. We’ll explore geometric throughlines, from Greek straightedge-and-compass methods, through innovations of the Islamic Golden Age, to Renaissance engineers and their mechanical drawing tools, all the way to Bézier curves of the 1960s—now foundational to every smooth SVG path on the web. Alongside interactive demos and visual examples, we’ll dive into surprisingly current problems that are solved through construction alone, in ways that are both rigorous and astonishingly intuitive. This talk is for anyone with a curious mind—no technical background required. While code snippets will appear, the real goal is to spark insight and wonder. Join us to discover how a blend of math, history, and art can transform the way we see both digital and physical space—and how centuries-old ideas continue to solve problems in ways that are as beautiful as they are practical. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://program.why2025.org/why2025/talk/VRMZEG/