Designing Micro-interactions to Create Seamless User Experiences

Users interact with micro-interactions daily without being aware of them. Animation and motion can enhance the user experience if designed with restraint. The use of motion is often appropriate as a form of subtle feedback for micro-interactions to attract the user's attention and guide them through the interface.

Micro-interactions

The concept of micro-interaction

Micro-interactions refer to actions occurring when a user interacts with an interface, providing feedback, conveying system status, or assisting users in preventing errors. When designing micro-interactions we should consider four factors:

• Triggers initiate micro-interactions. A trigger can be user-initiated or system-initiated. Micro-interactions are triggered by something the user does, such as tapping a button, or by a change in the system’s state.
• Once a micro-interaction is triggered, rules determine what will happen.
• The response is specific feedback communicated through a visual or audible change in the user interface.
• Loops and modes control micro-interactions. When conditions change, how does a micro-interaction respond?

Micro-interactions involve various components, but not all of them are considered part of a micro-interaction. For instance, static elements always present on the screen are not micro-interactions since they do not have a specific trigger. Likewise, multi-step actions do not qualify as micro-interactions.

You can find an informative table outlining what can and cannot be classified as micro-interactions on the Nielsen Norman Group website. An example of a micro-interaction is a scrollbar that is triggered by user action and provides feedback on the actual location in the application or page. Similarly, a notification is a system-triggered micro-interaction that informs the user of an incoming message. On the other side, a video player is not a micro-interaction itself, but the abilities to control the video playback and adjust the volume within the video player can be considered as such.

Let's explore the benefits and how to create effective micro-interactions. Subscribe to become a free member or log in for full access.