I recently installed a video editor with the deeply unintuitive name Kdenlive. When I went looking for it later, I couldn’t remember what it was called. Not because I’m forgetful, but because the name feels like someone mashed a keyboard and decided it was good enough.
It made me realise something: computers expect us to remember names, but humans remember purposes.
We don’t think, “I need Kdenlive.”
We think, “I need that video editor with the weird name.”
And yet operating systems only let us search by the former.
The idea
What if apps had tags?
- Tags added by the developer:
video editor, timeline, open source, media - Tags added by the user:
weird name, use for YouTube, holiday project, Chrissy recommended
Then the Start menu search could look through names and tags.
Type “video”, “edit”, or even “weird name”, and the right app appears.
Why this matters
It’s a small change, but it aligns the system with how people actually think.
We remember associations, not branding.
We remember stories, not file paths.
We remember what something does, not what it’s called.
Tagging would make computers feel less like rigid filing cabinets and more like adaptable tools that understand human logic.
It’s the same instinct behind my “validity expired emails” idea: technology that respects the way people live, rather than forcing people to adapt to the quirks of technology.
A tiny feature, but a quietly transformative one.