Theme: How physicists see the world, and why it matters for UX. Learning Objectives • Understand physics as a mindset: simplifying, modeling, predicting. • Learn foundational ways physicists break down complex systems. • Build comfort and curiosity—remove the fear of physics. • See the parallels between UX thinking and physical reasoning. Core Topics • What physics really is: models, not equations. • Systems, constraints, interaction rules. • Inputs → transformations → outputs. • Equilibrium vs. far-from-equilibrium systems. • Entropy as “decay of order” and interfaces that fall apart. • Negentropy as clarity creation. Activities • Group exercise: “Model a coffee shop as a physical system.” • Demo: Heat dissipation → how complexity spreads in products. • Interactive: Take any app and map “forces” acting on a user. Assignment Pick a complex UX flow. Build a simple “physics-based model” of it using only words, arrows, and boxes.

Theme: The physics of behavior. Learning Objectives • Understand force, energy, work, and motivation as conceptual tools. • Learn how “pushes” and “pulls” shape user movement. • Map energy barriers and UX friction. Core Topics • Force = any influence that changes state. • Potential energy = motivation yet to be used. • Kinetic energy = active engagement. • Force fields → default choices, habits, environment design. • Barriers, ramps, resistance, thresholds. Activities • Demo: Rolling objects down slopes to illustrate “motivation gradient.” • Workshop: Identify energy barriers in onboarding flows. • Diagramming: Map all forces acting on a user in one task. Assignment Choose a multi-step task and diagram the energy landscape (inclines, cliffs, wells, friction zones).

Theme: Understanding “UX friction” through real physics. Learning Objectives • Learn what friction actually is. • Translate viscosity, drag, and resistance into UX patterns. • Redefine cognitive load in physical terms. Core Topics • Mechanical friction vs. interaction friction. • Viscosity: “thick” vs “light” interfaces. • Drag and turbulence as unpredictable UX behaviors. • Activation energy: why tiny hurdles matter. • How complexity increases system entropy. Activities • Demo: Water vs honey → cognitive viscosity. • Heatmap exercise: Identify high-viscosity zones in an app. • Real-world: Test interface “stickiness” through quick tasks. Assignment Redesign a sticky friction-heavy flow using physical metaphors to justify your changes.

Theme: Treating user journeys like fluid motion. Learning Objectives • Understand flow, laminar vs turbulent movement. • Diagnose product bottlenecks like fluid chokepoints. • Learn how to design “paths of least resistance.” Core Topics • The basics of fluid flow (no math). • Pressure → urgency, demand, load. • Bottlenecks → slowdowns and drop-offs. • Flow rate → task throughput. • Turbulence → inconsistent patterns. Activities • Demo: Water flowing through tubes to show bottlenecks. • Flow mapping: Draw user flow as a “river.” • UX teardown: Identify turbulence in a real product’s IA. Assignment Select a UX funnel and redesign it to improve its “flow rate.”

Theme: Understanding stable vs unstable user behavior. Learning Objectives • Learn why systems remain stable or collapse. • Understand user churn as instability. • Predict when changes destabilize interfaces. Core Topics • Stable equilibrium vs unstable equilibrium. • Pendulums, attractors, and feedback loops. • Positive vs negative feedback. • Critical points → when small changes matter disproportionately. • Path dependence. Activities • Demo: Pendulum to explain stability. • Group modeling: Identify stabilizing forces in a product. • Systems synthesis: What holds a user journey together? Assignment Build a stability diagram for a product (what keeps users engaged vs what destabilizes them).

heme: Bringing information theory into UX. Learning Objectives • Understand clarity vs noise using physical and communication theory. • Learn how to create low-entropy design systems. • Diagnose entropy build-up in real products. Core Topics • Signal-to-noise ratio: clear messaging vs clutter. • Entropy as “choices, chaos, overload.” • Negentropy = simplification, patterning, consistency. • Error correction → onboarding & guidance. Activities • Live redesign: Remove noise from a crowded page. • Demo: Whispering-chain game to illustrate entropy in communication. • Exercise: Entropy audit of any design system. Assignment Pick one page of an app and reduce its entropy by at least 40%. Document how you achieved it.

Theme: Turning UX problems into physical models. Learning Objectives • Learn to build simple, powerful physics-inspired models. • Predict behavior using first-principles physics thinking. • Formalize intuition into repeatable frameworks. Core Topics • Modeling with constraints and state transitions. • Flow-field modeling (gravity wells & habit formation). • Interaction networks. • Homeostasis and adaptive systems. • Threshold models. Activities • Mini-lab: Model a feature using fields, forces, and flows. • Critique session: Compare different modeling approaches. • Workshop: Build your own UX “force diagram.” Assignment Write a short “physics model” of a product problem and show how your design changes the system.