Techniques are described for dynamically determining a transition, at run-time, between user interface states of an application based on a timing function that is used for multiple, different transitions within one or more applications. The timing function is applied to the various transitioning graphical elements in the user interface, such that the appearance of each shared element is progressively altered at a rate that is determined according to the timing function. Shared elements are transitioned using the timing function (e.g., as a whole) during the duration of the transition. Outgoing and incoming elements are transitioned, respectively, using a first subsection and second subsection of the timing function, wherein the subsections are bounded by an inflection time which, in some instances, corresponds to a time of peak velocity of the timing function.