After learning about the system, the concept of pace layers just makes sense.
In a self-regulating system, different layers move through time at different speeds. Take our bodies, for example. Different parts have their own renewal cycles. Skin and nails renew pretty quickly, usually within days or weeks. Red blood cells refresh every few months. Bone tissue takes years to show real changes. And the brain’s development and how we think evolves from childhood through adulthood, often taking decades.
Think about a building. You can swap out the furniture and decorations easily, but the structure and foundation stay put. Most systems work this way. The layers influence and support each other: the core moves slowly to keep the system’s purpose steady, the structure provides stability, and the outer details form what we actually see and interact with.
I notice this same pattern in information architecture or just interaction design in general. A product’s core functions and purpose rarely change much. Next comes how it works, which changes a bit more but not too frequent. Visual design gets updated now and then, and the content on the edges changes most often. When we’re designing interactions, this means we need to really think through your purpose and goals, along with how things will work, because these are hard to change later. Messing with them can throw off the whole system. Changes to the outer layers like visual design and user-facing content are easier to handle because they move faster and won’t shake everything up.