Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Summary
Why do users behave in ways that seem so unpredictable? Traditional funnels and post-hoc analytics often miss the hidden forces behind hesitation, backtracking, and abandonment. This session with David Sternberg draws on Quantum-Fluid Dynamics to introduce a new dynamic framework for understanding and shaping user flow—revealing the competing motivations and cognitive forces at play. Join us to learn how to move beyond surface metrics to diagnose, predict, and influence user behavior with sharper insights, enabling smarter design decisions and saving your team time and resources.
Key Insights
-
•
Traditional UX methods like A/B testing and user journeys are reactive and observe user behavior post-facto, limiting proactive design.
-
•
User intent exists as a cloud of probabilistic potential actions, akin to quantum superposition, until an interaction collapses it into a decision.
-
•
The QFI model uses the analogy of fluid dynamics to describe user flows, with interface elements shaping paths like landscapes shape currents.
-
•
Momentum in UX reflects user motivation and energy, driving faster and more decisive interactions similar to strong fluid currents.
-
•
Friction or cognitive viscosity represents obstacles in the interface that slow or block user flow, causing frustration or abandonment.
-
•
Behavioral turbulence arises from breakdowns in flow, leading to chaotic, unpredictable user actions like rage taps or loops.
-
•
QFI introduces the concept of an intent Hamiltonian, representing forces altering user probabilistic states towards one outcome or another.
-
•
Interfaces should be designed to guide and choreograph intentions, shaping gradients of motivation and friction rather than forcing actions.
-
•
QFI is a scientific framework aiming to shift UX from craft relying on intuition to a predictive science based on models and measurements.
-
•
The framework supplements, not replaces, UX research and design; it amplifies understanding to generate better hypotheses and experiments.
Notable Quotes
"Human behavior is anything but linear, rational, or predictable."
"User intent exists in a probabilistic superposition of multiple possible actions until a choice is made."
"When you observe a quantum particle, its possible states collapse to one—just like user intent collapses to action."
"The interface you’ve designed is like a landscape shaping the flow of user behavior as water flows through a stream."
"Momentum in users is like energy in fluid—strong motivation drives fast, decisive movement."
"Friction isn’t just annoying; it’s a force that reshapes behavior and can slow or stop user flow."
"Behavioral turbulence happens when flow breaks down, causing chaotic and unpredictable user interactions."
"Every piece of product can be described using components like intent, viscosity, and flow—making UX a physics problem."
"With QFI, we go upstream: simulate, model, predict user behavior before shipping, not just react after."
"You don’t design interfaces anymore—you choreograph intentions."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
















More Videos

"We put out a global challenge and engaged over 700 solvers and got 30 projects that blew us away."
Kristen Honey"Let’s Talk About Data and Crisis”: Public Digital Service Delivery = Open Data + Human Centered Design
November 18, 2021

"No assistive technology user uses default settings; we spend years customizing everything to work for us."
Sam ProulxSUS: A System Unusable for Twenty Percent of the Population
December 9, 2021

"Good problem statements begin with aspirational mindsets and use backcasting to envision preferred futures."
Surya VankaUnleashing Swarm Creativity to Solve Enterprise Challenges
June 10, 2021

"Use tech checks before sessions to put participants at ease and build rapport early."
Amanda Kaleta-Kott Lea Martin, PhDThe Joys and Dilemmas of Conducting UX Research with Older Adults
March 11, 2022

"Creating a set of experience KPIs allows us to measure whether our experiences are simple, honest, and meeting customer expectations."
Sarah WilliamsVerizon_A Framework for CX Transformation
January 8, 2024

"Too often, futures imaginaries want to erase or align difference rather than reckon with it."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022

"No matter the circumstances, the answer to 'Can we?' is always yes, we can."
Lada GorlenkoTheme 2 Intro
June 9, 2022

"Our brain doesn’t know the difference between a tiger trying to eat us or an angry email from our manager."
Alla WeinbergHow to Build and Scale Team Safety
January 8, 2024

"Even though we are virtual, we are still a community and obligated to treat each other with respect and kindness."
Louis Rosenfeld Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
March 27, 2023