A configuration element presented on a configuration display view for configuring a graphic element object (440o-s), wherein the configuration element is instantiated from a configuration element object that is linked to the graphic element object (440o-s) and included on a process control display view corresponding to a process entity included in a process plant, the configuration element comprising in a configuration environment (600,700,800) of the process plant an instantiation of a configuration element object that defines a set of properties for an attribute of the graphic element object (440o-s), the configuration element object being configurable, the configuration element object including a link to a configuration display object from which the configuration display view is instantiated, and the instantiation of the configuration element object including a visual representation of the set of properties for the attribute of the graphic element object (440o-s); and a link from the configuration element object to the graphic element object (440o-s) to send data corresponding to a property configured in the configuration element from the set of properties, the configured property corresponding to at least one configured attribute of the graphic element to be instantiated on the process control display view based on the graphic element object (440o-s), wherein the graphic element object (440o-s) is linked to the configuration element object via the link, wherein, upon instantiation of the configuration element object, the graphic element is displayed with the set of properties defined in the configuration element object, and wherein changes to the configuration element object propagate, in a phased or delayed manner, to graphic element objects (440o-s) that are linked to the configuration element object according to a user-managed policy, wherein the configuration element object is a parent object and the graphic element objects (440o-s) that are linked to the configuration element object are children objects. a visual representation of the set of properties for the attribute of the graphic element object (440o-s); and a link from the configuration element object to the graphic element object (440o-s) to send data corresponding to a property configured in the configuration element from the set of properties, the configured property corresponding to at least one configured attribute of the graphic element to be instantiated on the process control display view based on the graphic element object (440o-s), wherein the graphic element object (440o-s) is linked to the configuration element object via the link, wherein, upon instantiation of the configuration element object, the graphic element is displayed with the set of properties defined in the configuration element object, and wherein changes to the configuration element object propagate, in a phased or delayed manner, to graphic element objects (440o-s) that are linked to the configuration element object according to a user-managed policy, wherein the configuration element object is a parent object and the graphic element objects (440o-s) that are linked to the configuration element object are children objects.