This is the official site about Jef Raskin, author of The Humane Interface (Addison-Wesley 2000), creator of Apple's Macintosh, the Canon Cat, click-and-drag selection and other inventions. He coined the term and the concept of "information appliances." This site contains works by and about him, including Jef's writings on a variety of subjects. There is also a tediously long curriculum vitae. Lots of dates and references if you need them. Otherwise, skip it.

This site also contains pointers to a current project to implement many of the features and methods described in Jef's recent book. The project, a part of the new Raskin Center for Humane Interfaces, is called "Archy" and a developmental version is now available for download. This site was designed and is maintained by Galen Panger and Aza Raskin.

Jef was an interface and systems designer, a writer, and a consultant, concentrating primarily on making computers more usable and their interfaces efficient as well as pleasant. He is also well-known as an expert on the aerodynamics of miniature aircraft. Jef died peacefully at home in California on February 26th, 2005 surrounded by his family and loved ones. He had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Read the press release.

This site is being built with permission from Jef.

DigiBarn also has a great webpage dedicated to Jef Raskin, with photos and interviews.

Copyrights for the materials on this website are held by the authors.

Archy at present contains commands that do typical word-processing operations and e-mail, has a calculator, and contains its own Python development system. However, it doesn't work like anything else on this or nearby planets (you can't make something better and still keep it the same). It's extremely easy to use, and very efficient, but to gain this ease of use we had to abandon current interface methods entirely and rethink interface design from the ground up.

This means that you won't know how to use Archy (now, there's a challenge!)

The rationale for the new interface is covered in detail in Jef's book, "The Humane Interface", which will also help you figure out how Archy works.

The Humane Interface is Jef Raskin's book about human interface design. He says that our honeymoon with digital technology is over: We are tired of having to learn huge, arcane programs to do even the simplest of tasks; we have had our fill of crashing computers; and we are fatigued by the continual pressure to upgrade. The Humane Interface delivers a way for computers, information appliances, and other technology-driven products to continue to advance in power and expand their range of applicability, while becoming free of the hassles and obscurities that plague present products.

Released in April, 2000, the book received its fourth English-language printing in February, 2003. There are Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish, and Russian editions, and at last report, it is being translated into French, Italian, Korean, and Dutch, with other translations planned. As of February, 2003, it was in use as a text or required reading at over 100 universities and colleges. If you would like a copy, please buy it through our Amazon Association.