What makes an interface feel physical
Research
14 November 2026
Two dozen experiments later: the four things that make pixels feel like objects.
We built 24 interaction experiments and kept notes on which ones people played with twice.
1. It answers in under 100 ms
Anything slower reads as a video, not an object.
2. It pushes back
Resistance at the edges — a drag that gets heavier, a knob with detents — is what sells weight.
3. It overshoots, a little
A small settle after release. Too much and it feels like jelly.
4. It remembers
State that stays where you left it makes a thing feel like it exists when you are not looking.