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2025.01 · INTERACTION

One Button

Abandoned

Question

Can a meaningful interaction be built with exactly one button and no other controls?

Hypothesis

Extreme constraint would force a clearer interaction than a full control panel.

What it is

A single button that changed behavior based on how it was pressed — tap, hold, double-tap, hold-and-drag.

Try it

A working prototype existed but is not included here — see the write-up for why.

Result

Multi-gesture single buttons required more explanation than they saved in controls, which defeated the original point.

What I learned

Constraint is only valuable when it removes real complexity, not when it just relocates it into gestures nobody discovers.