under the surface / study 01
Same intent.
Different surface.
Give form 01 a focal point. Keep the approach clear.
Then change how you get there.
Enable JavaScript to compose. The design decisions below remain available.
Independent studio prototype.
These are spatial rules. The composition is yours to judge.
under the surface
Preserve the decision.
Adapt the interaction.
A person should be able to change how they interact without rebuilding what they already made. This study keeps the composition stable while reach, movement, and timing change around it.
- context
- Independent Warp the Surface studio study. An abstract spatial task, created for this website.
- practice
- Interaction design, state architecture, browser implementation, and accessible alternatives.
- outcome
- One editable composition shared by direct and staged placement, with reversible moves and explicit pending state.
01 / reach changes the control, not the composition
Direct input offers dragging and tap-to-place. One-thumb input brings selection, directional steps, and confirmation together beneath the scene. It separates choosing a destination from committing it.
The tradeoff is extra taps for smaller, deliberate adjustments. A single drag-only interface would require every person to reach and hold the object itself. Keyboard arrows and Enter follow the same placement rules.
02 / motion carries continuity, not essential information
With movement enabled, a short transition connects the old position to the new one. Still mode removes that travel. Selection, position labels, the proposed destination, and completion feedback remain.
A device’s reduced-motion preference always takes priority. The mode changes presentation; it does not change the spatial checks or the composition.
03 / acknowledge immediately, commit deliberately
With a simulated 1.2-second delay, the solid form stays in its committed position. A dashed outline shows the requested destination. You can cancel before it completes, or undo afterwards.
Only one move can be pending. That limits throughput but keeps ordering understandable. Changing reach or response cancels an unfinished move and preserves committed work; changing motion preserves the pending move too.
04 / what this study can establish
The focal check measures form 01 against the ring; the approach check measures clearance from the central path; the separation check measures space between forms. All three use the same normalized coordinates in every input mode.
These checks establish geometric consistency. They do not establish beauty, comfort, or faster task completion. Physical-device testing and participant observation are still needed before making those claims.
The study uses a flat plan view. Transfer to an actual headset or tracked spatial interface remains a separate design and testing question.
carry it forward
Keep intent and committed state independent from the mechanism used to express them.