Zero UI, or how the absence of interfaces is possible
Interface design has evolved significantly in recent years. At the beginning of the digital era, it was common to find visually rich designs full of textures, shadows, and skeuomorphic effects. Skeuomorphism helped us understand digital environments by mimicking physical-world elements. It was a way to ease the transition to new technologies that still felt unfamiliar.
Over time, flat design took center stage, favoring a cleaner, minimalist aesthetic focused on functionality. While it improved clarity, it also brought challenges — it wasn’t always easy to tell which elements were interactive. Neumorphism attempted to restore some of that lost depth, but with more balance. And in this constant adjustment process, we continue to evolve.
What is zero UI?
Today, we’re at a point where digital design looks beyond the screen. The Zero UI approach proposes moving away from buttons and visual interfaces in favor of more natural forms of interaction: voice, gestures, artificial intelligence, and contextual automation.
It’s no longer just about what we see on a screen, but how we interact with technology in daily life. Do we need to touch an app to turn on the lights? What if we could just say it out loud — or the house already knew what time we usually arrive and acted accordingly?
Interpreting the environment in real time
In this new logic, devices no longer wait to be touched. They interpret context, anticipate needs, and respond. We’re already seeing this in technologies like augmented reality, which overlays digital information on the physical world.
Imagine walking through a city with navigation cues projected onto the ground, or entering a shop and seeing floating reviews and prices above products.
A clear example of this logic is Amazon Go, Amazon’s cashier-less physical store chain operating in cities like Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.
- Shoppers scan the app at the entrance.
- They take what they need and walk out without stopping.
- The system — powered by computer vision, sensors, and machine learning — automatically registers purchases and charges them to the user’s account, no screens or physical interaction needed.
The pillars of Zero UI: voice, gestures, and gaze
If voice is the “ears” of Zero UI, then gesture control represents its “eyes.” This technology lets users operate devices without physical contact, using hand or body movements alone. The three core pillars of Zero UI experiences are:
- Voice commands: Now ubiquitous in homes, cars, and smartphones, voice control allows us to adjust temperature, play music, or turn off a lamp without visual interfaces. For example, Google Nest and Amazon Echo devices let users interact with home services using simple voice commands, with no need to touch anything.
- Gesture control: Switching TV channels or moving a presentation slide with a hand gesture is often more convenient than finding a remote. With Motion Sense on Google Pixel 4, users can interact with their phones without touching them. For example, you can skip to the next song by simply waving your hand over the phone from left to right — no need to unlock the screen.
- Eye tracking: Although still emerging, companies like Tobii are developing eye-tracking solutions for video games, assistive technologies, UX research, and medical devices. In these systems, just looking is enough to trigger actions or explore content.
Artificial intelligence that anticipates contextually
AI plays a critical role in Zero UI. By learning habits, it can adapt to our routines and make decisions that once required manual input.
One working example is the FlyZoo Hotel in Hangzhou, China, developed by Alibaba.
- Guests check in via facial recognition.
- Elevators automatically take them to the correct floor.
- Rooms unlock without keys or cards.
Everything is managed by automated systems that recognize patterns and anticipate user needs.
Why has Zero UI emerged?
Why has this design possibility surfaced? It’s a direct response to digital saturation. Every day, we’re exposed to more stimuli than we can consciously process.
According to Forbes, the average person receives 6,000 to 10,000 advertising impacts daily. Additionally, Datareportal reports that we spend over 6 hours a day on digital devices — for work, leisure, or daily tasks.
This hyperconnectivity comes at a cost. Many users report digital fatigue, notification anxiety, difficulty focusing, and a feeling of never disconnecting. In hybrid or home work environments, this exposure only intensifies.
In our own user research, we’ve seen a growing desire for quieter, more seamless interactions that don’t require constant visual or tactile attention. That’s where Zero UI makes sense: it aims to reduce digital noise without sacrificing functionality.
It’s not about abandoning technology, but making it more respectful of our attention and energy.
Zero UI as a response to overstimulation
Ultimately, Zero UI emerges as a design response to an overstimulated world, where we increasingly value simplicity, fluidity, and a well-executed invisibility in technology.
This is a translation of the following article from our corporate website:
