02 Hover Intent. 2 of 95.
02/POINTER INTENT/2 of 95
Hover Intent
Passing over is not the same as choosing.
Best experienced with a pointer.
The problem
Menus fly open the moment your cursor grazes them, cluttering the screen while you are just passing through.
The solution
Cursor speed and dwell time estimate whether you intend to open.
Experiment
Play with the values
400 px/s
300ms
100ms
How it works
- The pointer entering an item is a candidate, not a choice.
- Recent movement speed distinguishes a pass-through from someone slowing down to look.
- A dwell timer starts only after the pointer is actually on the item.
- If the cursor is still moving quickly, the item stays in an observing state and does not open.
- The menu opens only after the pointer has stayed slow long enough to count as intent.
Seen in
Navigation bars
Top-level items open only when you slow down, not when you're crossing the bar to reach something else.
Tooltips
Hints appear after a deliberate pause instead of flashing during fast pointer passes.
Mega menus
Department flyouts wait for intent before expanding, reducing accidental activation.
Sidebar items
Nested sidebar entries distinguish scanning from selecting before revealing children.