UX Design as Dance Theater

Just like dance, great product design thrives on iteration, collaboration, and attention to detail

Euphrates Dahout is a Google UX Designer and the architect of the world’s most popular Figma library, the M3 Design Kit. Here, she shares how her love of a ’90s music video — and background in dance — has shaped the way she approaches design systems and user experience.

Have you ever seen the music video for Daft Punk’s “Around the World” from 1997? If not, take a few minutes to watch it. It features a captivating spectacle of synchronized swimmers, dancing mummies, and writhing skeletons — all set in a surrealist dreamscape backlit by glowing lights. Each group dances to its own beat, until the end when they come together to perform in unison.

Not only is it a master class in creativity across media, it’s also an apt metaphor for the art of creating user experience. The video is almost 30 years old, but feels fresh, suggesting that some of the principles of both movement and interface design are timeless.

I didn’t always want to be a UX designer. I have a degree in dance theater and spent years working onstage and off. For instance, I worked on Green Day’s American Idiot before it made its way to Broadway. So when I stumbled on a video going behind the scenes of “Around the World,” I had an almost visceral sense of delight and recognition. It reminded me both of my history in dance and the behind-the-scenes work of UX design that I’m now dedicated to.

2 stagehands build the curved stairs used in the music video.
Over a dozen dancers rehearse the music video’s steps and motions in front of a mirror.

Stagehands and dancers working behind the scenes.
Source: Making of Around The World

Just like the seemingly effortless grace of a dancer, a successful user experience should mask the complexity of its creation. The process of designing a digital experience mirrors that of choreographing a performance: It requires vision, iteration, and meticulous attention to detail. Consider these parallels:

Consider these parallels:

Repetition, collaboration, and iteration are essential in both UX and dance.

Nested rectangles and horizontal ovals symbolize repetition and precision.

1. Repetition and accuracy

Just as repeated dance moves create patterns and build anticipation, consistent interface patterns foster user trust and expectations of what’s to come. Hitting the right beat in a dance routine is akin to maintaining accuracy in design systems. Both demand precision to effectively communicate meaning and evoke desired responses. When something unexpected happens amid the repetition, it can inspire an entirely new stance that breaks free from established patterns.

Rounded squares and rectangles work together to create a sixth shape out of negative space to symbolize collaboration.

2. Collaboration and diverse expertise

A successful performance, much like a great digital product, requires a diverse team of specialists working in harmony. From costume designers to lighting technicians, each role contributes a unique skill set to the final product. In UX, we rely on the expertise of researchers, visual designers, content strategists, and developers to choreograph a cohesive and impactful experience.

Storyboard rectangles and a rounded button shape symbolize the iterative design process.

3. Iteration and refinement

Behind the polished facade of any performance lie countless hours of rehearsals, missteps, and adjustments. Similarly, the UX design process is iterative at its core. It thrives on feedback, user testing, and a willingness to refine and adapt based on real-world usage.

Watching the “making of” videos like “Around the World” reminds us that even the most complex creations are built step-by-step, with dedication and a focus on producing the desired feeling. As we strive to create elegant and effective digital experiences, it’s helpful to remember the lessons embedded in art forms like dance. By embracing collaboration, valuing iteration, and finding our rhythm within the team, we can choreograph digital experiences that resonate with users and stand the test of time.

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Illustration by Arthur Ribeiro Vergani