# Rethinking The Experience Of System Tools

DevFeed: [Rethinking The Experience Of System Tools](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/rethinking-the-experience-of-system-tools-4284.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://smashingmagazine.com/2026/05/rethinking-experience-system-tools/>)

Author: hello@smashingmagazine.com (Kyrylo Levashov)

Published: 2026-05-05T08:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Articles on Smashing Magazine -- For Web Designers And Developers](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/articles-on-smashing-magazine-for-web-designers-and-developers.md>)

Topics: [Utility Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/utility.md>), [User experience (UX)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ux.md>), [Software Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-engineering.md>), [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>)

Tags: [article](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/article.md>), [design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/design.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>), [software-design](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software-design.md>), [tools](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tools.md>), [user-experience](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/user-experience.md>), [ux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ux.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that utility and maintenance software should evolve beyond purely functional, chore-like experiences. Drawing comparisons to redesigned physical products, it advocates more intelligent, human, and emotionally engaging UX for system tools.

## Source excerpt

Design always starts with function -- function shapes form. But if that function can't be made completely invisible and people still have to interact with it, it inevitably becomes part of their experience. In this article, Kyrylo Levashov shares four common software design assumptions.