The gesture sets the pace.
An image can react to pointer speed. A section can change scale as it enters the screen. What interests me is feeling a connection between my action and the response.
If movement carries on too long after I stop, that connection fades. A sense of material becomes weight. I prefer a clear response followed by a return to stillness.
Keep a place to read.
Moving everything at once removes the landmarks. I prefer to keep distortion at transitions, edges or points of contact with the pointer. In the centre, images and words need to become clear again.
The contrast between movement and rest matters as much as the effect itself. It lets an animation be expressive without constantly demanding attention.
A control still needs to be a control.
A button can have a reflection, a liquid edge or a distinctive transition. Its purpose still needs to be obvious. The label, clickable area and selected state come before the spectacle.
I want to be able to use an interface with a keyboard and pause its animations. On a phone, the gesture should stay simple. Those are starting conditions for an experience I want to share.