GUI stands for graphical user interface and is pronounced GOO-ee or gooey. A GUI contains graphical elements such as windows, menus, icons, and links that you select when working with an operating system, software application, or mobile app.

To truly appreciate GUI design, it helps to know what came before it. Before GUIs became common, computer screens displayed only plain text and were controlled by a keyboard. Interactions with the computer were typed into a command line. So instead of dragging and dropping a file to move it, users typed the command name, the name of the file to be moved, and the destination folder. Users had to remember the commands needed to perform these and many other functions.

A GUI is very different. Instead of being text-based, it is visually based, making the computer much easier to use. When operating systems and applications incorporate a GUI, commands and actions are performed by directly manipulating the graphical elements on the screen. Within GUIs, the following types of interface elements are commonly used:

Users select one or a combination of the above elements by pressing keys on a keyboard, clicking with a mouse, or tapping the screen. These actions make it easy to launch applications, open files, navigate websites, and perform other tasks.