Newton's Laws of Interaction Design

January 13, 2012 • 1 minute to read

Note: This document was written before the incredible "Laws of UX" site was created. Go read that instead.

Sir Isaac Newton worked in many areas of mathematics and physics. He developed the theories of gravitation in 1666 when he was only 23 years old. In 1686, he presented his three laws of motion in the “Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis.”

By developing his three laws of motion, Newton revolutionized science. Newton’s laws together with Kepler’s Laws explained why planets move in elliptical orbits rather than in circles.

Software Design also follows certain laws and principles.

First Law: Modalities

The mode of an application remains constant unless the application is acted upon by the user.

Second Law: Inertia

The conversion of a task is parallel and directly proportional to the user's desire and inversely proportional to the task friction.

Third Law: Action & Reaction

The mutual states of action and reaction between the user & application are active, reactive, and persistent.