From Pages to Scenes
The Evolution of Digital Space
The metaphors we use to describe digital spaces shape how we design them. When we moved from “pages” to “screens,” we were acknowledging a shift from static information to dynamic display. But even “screen” feels increasingly inadequate for describing what we’re actually creating.
Modern digital experiences are more like scenes in a play — dynamic spaces where multiple elements interact based on context, user state, and system conditions. A user’s dashboard isn’t just a screen displaying information; it’s a scene where data, notifications, and interface elements play their roles according to complex choreography.
As much as it may sound that way, this isn’t just semantic drift. When we design for “pages,” we think in terms of layout and arrangement. When we design for “screens,” we think in terms of display and responsiveness. But when we design for “scenes,” we think in terms of relationships and conditions — how elements interact, how states change, how context affects behavior.
Consider a typical social media feed. It’s not really a screen of content — it’s a scene where various actors (posts, advertisements, notifications, user actions) interact according to multiple variables (time, engagement, user preferences, algorithmic decisions). Each element has its own behavioral logic, its own relationship to other elements, its own way of responding to user interaction.
What’s more, these actors don’t just behave differently based on context — they can look radically different too. A data visualization widget might expand in size when it detects important changes in its data stream, or adopt animated behaviors when it interacts with related elements. A notification might shift its visual treatment entirely based on urgency or relationship to other active elements. Even something as simple as a status indicator might transform its appearance, motion, and sound based on complex conditions involving multiple scene elements.
This layered complexity — where both behavior and appearance shift based on intricate interplays between scene elements — means we’re no longer just choreographing interactions. We’re directing a performance where every actor can transform both its role and its costume based on the unfolding drama.
The evolution from page to screen to scene reflects a deeper shift in interaction design. We are no longer adapting static information for digital display. We’re choreographing complex interactions between dynamic elements, each responding to its own set of conditions and rules.
This new metaphor demands different questions from designers. Instead of asking “How should this look?” we need to ask “How should this behave?” Instead of “Where should this go?” we need to ask “What role does this play?”
The scene becomes our new unit of design — a space where interface elements aren’t just arranged, but directed.
Written by Christopher Butler on
Tagged