CAD (Computer Aided Design) software is used for a huge variety of applications in many different industries. It’s an invaluable tool in the design of new cars, the development of new products and in the special effects in movies. Modern CAD software has been evolving for decades, but it has only been readily available and affordable since the 1980s. The current ease of use and wide availability are partially due to the advances made by Ivan Sutherland’s groundbreaking Sketchpad program, which he wrote in 1963.

Sketchpad was the first computer program ever to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and the innovative light pen. The program’s functionality was a huge breakthrough in the development of modern computer graphics and usability. This video gives a great demonstration of the high level of usefulness present in the program.