The last honest button

Think of the last button you pressed that did exactly one thing. The doorbell. The kettle. A light switch with a satisfying click. These objects had a contract: press, and the world changes in a predictable way.

Modern devices have replaced that contract with menus. A speaker has no knob, only an app. A car's air vents sit behind a touch screen. Each convenience hides a negotiation, and the negotiation is usually conducted in a language the user did not choose.

Why designers cut the controls

Buttons cost money. They need tooling, certification and a hole in the case. Software is cheap and updates itself, so every control that can be turned into a menu is. From a factory's point of view the logic is airtight. From a kitchen's point of view it is unbearable.