Spatial Software

Now we have full context. When we zoom out, we see that the real world and a virtual world are characterized by the same core trait: free movement of bodies and objects in space. A virtual world can also mirror qualities of the real world in ways beyond that. It can have an environment full of mountains and trees, or physics that behave similarly t... See more

This is our definition of spatial software. It is characterized by the ability to move bodies and objects freely, in a parallel to the real world. This is opposed to traditional software, which uses some other logic to organize its interface.

Figma and Second Life are examples of spatial software. They contain worlds where the relationships between objects on a canvas, or bodies in an environment, respectively, are the organizing logic of the interface. WhatsApp is not spatial software. The organizing logic of its interface is recency of messages, not spatial relationships.