The aesthetics of motion in software

There is something very special about how to make interactive things for a screen, it has to come alive in a certain way. This is something I constantly think about when designing and programming games but I still have a lot to learn. In a way I believe that it’s the most important thing to master for someone in my trade and I think there is a whole other level of dynamic motion that we all should aspire to. Here are two things I’ve read/watched recently that inspired me and advanced my thoughts on the topic. Perhaps someone has more tips? If so, please comment!

What Screens Want by Frank Chimero – I particularly liked the second half when he starts talking about horses and ends in a kind of political statement. This is more from a web design perspective but the point is valid no matter what you make.

Stop Drawing Dead Fish by Bret Victor – all of his talks are amazing, you should definitely spend some quality time on his website if you haven’t (Inventing on principle obviously, but there is more). This particular talk touches upon some really important aspects on how to make animated and interactive things for the computer.

Oh, and I just realized Martin (Grapefrukt) Jonasson’s and Petri Purho’s talk Juice it or lose it is about this topic too and it’s great! From watching the video and playing their games I think they might be experts in this area of interactive design. I’m looking forward to what they and others will do in the future. And I hope Bret Victor will release some of his tools :)

Cheers,
Erik

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