15 / GESTURE PHYSICS
Velocity Gesture
The problem
Judging a gesture only by distance ignores intent — a quick flick and a slow drag to the same point mean different things.
The solution
A fast flick dismisses even at short distance; a slow drag returns.
Experiment
Task: Flick the card quickly, or drag it slowly and release.
NAIVE
Push notification
Drag far to dismiss.
release v0px/s
distance0px
v-armoff
THOUGHTFUL
Push notification
Flick fast or drag far to dismiss.
release v0px/s
distance0px
v-arm500px/s
Play with the values
500 px/s
140px
How it works
Seen in
Notification cards
A quick flick dismisses a notification even if you didn't drag it all the way across.
Photo viewers
Flicking down closes the image; a slow drag lets you reconsider and release back.
Tinder-style cards
Swipe velocity, not just position, determines a like or pass at release.
Bottom sheets
A fast downward flick dismisses the sheet regardless of how far it moved.