Design states, omnipresence, and
the agentic future... consciousness
Our current six main interaction states are beginning to morph into something new, omnipresent, adaptive, and
almost alive. They behave less like static interface conditions and more like living cells: responsive,
self-regulating, and capable of foreseeing near-future scenarios.
Traditionally, the default state represents the initial landing condition, the moment before
interaction, when an element is simply seen or sensed. From there, the focus state emerges when the
user intentionally engages, typically by keyboard navigation or clicking into an interactive element.
The hover state, much like focus, signals interactivity through proximity, a user’s pointer
hovering above a potential action. The disabled state communicates temporary dormancy: an element
that is normally interactive but unavailable at the moment.
The pressed state reflects the liminal moment of intention, between pressing and releasing an
action, across devices:
- On a keyboard, after a key is pressed but before it’s released.
- On a mouse, between the click down and the release.
- On touchscreens, from contact until the finger lifts.
This state anticipates an event, embodying the threshold where potential becomes action. Finally, the
active state signifies selection, a persistent acknowledgment that an element is chosen or engaged.
It is the visible trace of decision, often marked by a highlight, checkmark, or shift in context within menus and
navigation systems.
1. Where These Six States Come From
These states originate in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and GUI design systems,
particularly from the lineage of WIMP interfaces (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer) developed in
the 1980s–90s. They reflect a local, bounded interaction loop, a user acting on a discrete element within a
bounded context (the screen, the app, the window).
Each state captures a moment in that bounded loop, an event that can be observed, rendered, and resolved. But
that model assumes:
- The user is present and focused on a single interface.
- The system is reactive, not proactive.
- Time flows in discrete input–response cycles.
2. The Shift: Ubiquitous and Agentic Environments
In a ubiquitous or ambient computing world, those assumptions collapse. The interface is no longer a window,
it’s everywhere. The user is no longer bounded, they’re distributed across devices, contexts, and identities.
The system is no longer passive, it has agency, continuity, and memory.
So “interaction” stops being a momentary state change on a button, it becomes an ongoing negotiation between
distributed agents (human and machine) across contexts.
4. View of Time
If we assume that time isn’t real but is a construct of local circumstance, an emergent property of perception,
then traditional UI “states” are themselves illusions of time.
The “Pressed” or “Hover” states only make sense when time is linear and causal (event → response → next
event). But in an agentic temporal framework, interaction is nonlinear, actions ripple across moments,
and presence can be asynchronous yet immediate.
So instead of states as frames in time, we might think of fields of relation, multidimensional
conditions of attention, intent, and agency that coexist and overlap.
5. A New Ontology of Interaction
In such an environment, interaction might be modelled not as a timeline, but as an energy field or
network of presences. Each agent (human or synthetic) occupies a vector within that field,
expressing:
- Attention: degree of focus or awareness.
- Intention: goal or purpose projection.
- Agency: capacity to act autonomously.
- Contextual gravity: how strongly an environment attracts or modulates behaviour.
The “states” of interaction, then, are configurations of these vectors, dynamic and simultaneous, not
sequential.
6. From Industrial Roots to Conscious Systems
These interaction states evolved historically from the industrial and cybernetic worldview, where processes were
standardized and predictable, much like Henry Ford’s assembly lines. Over time, design transitioned from
mechanical precision to adaptive interaction. This shift mirrors the evolution from industrial control to
cybernetic feedback and now toward agentic systems that sense, anticipate, and learn.
In this transformation, consciousness becomes the new user state, awareness as an interactive modality. The
interface is no longer static but responsive, ecological, and anticipatory.
7. SLDS 2 and Design Evolution
The Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) 2 marks a new phase of this evolution. SLDS 2 uses CSS
custom properties as its visual language, reducing reliance on traditional design tokens. It
prioritizes out-of-the-box base Lightning components over custom blueprints, reflecting a move
toward consistency and resilience. This architecture is built with AI-ready components in mind,
preparing the foundation for adaptive, intelligent interfaces that integrate seamlessly into agentic systems.
8. Design Systems as Living Organisms
Modern design systems behave more like living cells, they sense, adapt, and maintain coherence across
environments. Just as the human immune system reacts to threats and maintains balance, design systems now must
foresee challenges and self-regulate. They act as ecosystems rather than toolkits.
- Antigens – unexpected inputs or contextual changes.
- Antibodies – adaptive responses via AI or design logic.
- Homeostasis – maintaining brand, trust, and ethical balance.
- Evolution – continuous learning from user interaction data.
9. Key Sources and Theoretical Roots
This framework draws from cybernetics, HCI, biomimicry, and posthuman design philosophies, converging into an
understanding of design as a conscious, adaptive process rather than a static set of rules.
10. Recommended Reading and Resources
🏭 Industrial and Mechanistic Origins
- Frederick Winslow Taylor – The Principles of Scientific Management (1911)
- Henry Ford – My Life and Work (1922)
- Lewis Mumford – Technics and Civilization (1934)
⚙️ Cybernetics and Systems Thinking
- Norbert Wiener – Cybernetics (1948)
- Ross Ashby – An Introduction to Cybernetics (1956)
- Stafford Beer – Brain of the Firm (1972)
- Heinz von Foerster – Understanding Understanding (2003)
💻 Human–Computer Interaction
- Donald Norman – The Design of Everyday Things (1988 / 2013)
- Bill Buxton – Sketching User Experiences (2007)
- Lucy Suchman – Plans and Situated Actions (1987)
- Terry Winograd & Fernando Flores – Understanding Computers and Cognition (1986)
🧬 Living Systems and Biomimicry
- Humberto Maturana & Francisco Varela – Autopoiesis and Cognition (1980)
- Fritjof Capra – The Web of Life (1996)
- John Holland – Complex Adaptive Systems (1992)
- Janine Benyus – Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (1997)
🔮 Anticipation, Agency, and Futures
- Mihai Nadin – Anticipation (2015)
- Riel Miller – Transforming the Future (UNESCO, 2018)
- Benjamin Bratton – The Stack (2016)
- Elisa Giaccardi – Design for the Posthuman Era (2021)
🪞 Consciousness, Ethics, and Posthumanism
- Alfred North Whitehead – Process and Reality (1929)
- Francisco Varela – Ethical Know-How (1999)
- Donna Haraway – A Cyborg Manifesto (1985)
- Andy Clark – Supersizing the Mind (2008)
- Karen Barad – Meeting the Universe Halfway (2007)
🧭 Contemporary Extensions
- Neri Oxman – Material Ecology (2020)
- Ezio Manzini – Design, When Everybody Designs (2015)
- Arturo Escobar – Designs for the Pluriverse (2018)
🌐 Salesforce and Accessibility Resources
This collection provides a panoramic foundation, from industrial standardization to the posthuman, agentic view
of design systems as living, anticipatory organisms ready for the AI age.
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