A) dumbed-down interfaces are bad design; Most you see were made by developees trying to be designy. No shade— it's a different profession with relevant degrees and career paths, and most designers would make terrible code if they tried. B) Good interface design absolutely does not require a gui. I've been professionally using (and loving) these tips for decades, but many cross the border from negligent to user hostile. C) Download SideFX HOUDINI, which has a nice pretty interface and is fully scriptable with python and it's own language, vex, and tell me that's "dumbed down."