The Flow Factor: Designing Momentum Into Your Experience
Donovan Dynamics – Dimension Two: Energy
Some systems feel effortless. You tap, you scroll, you glide forward without thinking. Others feel like a fight—like the system is resisting you at every turn. The difference often comes down to energy.
In Donovan Dynamics, Energy is the second dimension of Fundamentals. It’s about how systems move, respond, and sustain momentum. Just like in physics, energy isn’t static—it flows. It’s what makes an experience feel alive, reactive, and in motion.
Designing for energy means asking: Where does the system give, and where does it take?
Energy Is Not Speed
People often confuse energy with speed. But a fast system isn’t always a good one. A hyperactive product that overwhelms the user isn’t high-energy—it’s erratic. True energy in design is about rhythm, feedback, and flow. It’s about matching motion to meaning.
The right energy invites people in, pulls them forward, and adapts to their pace. It’s emotional. It’s responsive. And it’s often invisible until it’s missing.
Case Study: TikTok Ads Manager
At TikTok, I worked on the Ads Manager platform—specifically, the ad creation flow for small businesses. Our users weren’t ad professionals. They just wanted to launch something quickly and confidently.
We designed a campaign builder that emphasized momentum:
Objectives and targeting stacked logically
Default suggestions appeared right when needed
Loading screens used positive reinforcement
The system felt like it wanted you to keep going
We weren’t trying to gamify the experience—we were trying to energize it. To make users feel like the next step was obvious, frictionless, and achievable.
When energy is done well, it disappears. When it’s missing, you feel stuck.
Where Energy Lives in Your System
Energy shows up in:
How fast a system responds to input
How smooth transitions feel
How microinteractions guide behavior
How user motivation is supported or drained
If users hesitate, stall, or abandon—you likely have an energy leak.
Questions to Ask in the Energy Dimension
What propels users forward?
Where does the flow break?
Are transitions smooth or jarring?
Is feedback affirming or ambiguous?
Does the system reward continued motion?
Closing Thought: Design for Motion, Not Just Structure
Energy is what keeps people moving. It’s what turns steps into flow, and what makes a system feel responsive instead of inert.
In Donovan Dynamics, Energy works alongside Information, Space, and Time—but it’s the one you feel in your body. When you get it right, your product doesn’t just work. It moves.