Word: Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Definition: GUIs refer to the interface between the user and the computer system that allows users to interact with an electronic device through graphical icons and visual indicators. Graphical user interfaces allow users to make choices through clicking buttons and graphics. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as a "gooey".

Reference: GUIs are best known through their early implementation at Apple and Microsoft in which they replaced the arcane and difficult to use textual interfaces of early computing. The graphical user interface became the standard over time because it made computing much more intuitive, easier to learn, and extremely accessible.

Thoughts: The work of the UX designer ultimately effects the resulting product's GUI. After computing made the shift to graphical user interfaces our field emerged from the trenches and it's up to us to make this layer between the user and the computer seamless. UX design is the Emerald City; Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.