Microinteraction is a small but effective design detail that enriches the user experience and builds a meaningful bridge between the user and the product.
These interactions cover a wide range from the feedback the user receives when the user completes a process to the effects and animations that appear when clicking buttons.
What is Micro Interaction?
Well-planned and designed micro-interactions make users’ interaction with the product satisfying and intuitive, and at the same time strengthen and reflect the brand identity.
An effective micro-interaction design is based on psychological principles and behavioural science to attract user attention, inform and encourage desired action.
The Power of Micro Interactions
In many quality applications and web interfaces that we use daily, we experience micro-interactions consciously or unconsciously. Micro-interaction is a must in a successful UX framework!
Micro Interaction is the whole of design elements that make a big difference in user experience. It is possible to establish a great bond between you and your users with intuitive interactions that will reflect the brand identity and ensure memorability.
Feedback notifying that a transaction has been completed, a pop-up notifying that the settings have been saved, or an animation conveying that a form has been successfully submitted are the best examples of micro-interactions. Thus, you can guide users in a way that makes their work easier, satisfy them and save time with instant feedback.
Micro Interaction Components
Let’s talk about the 4 main components of micro-interactions;
Trigger: These are the actions that are activated when users initiate the action or a system event is automatically triggered.
Rules: They are guidelines. They define what happens after the trigger.
Feedback: Visual, auditory or sensory responses to inform the user of the result of an action or action.
Loop and Mode: Loops determine how long the interactions will last, and modes determine the different situations that users may encounter while interacting.
All of the components we have listed should work as a whole to ensure that users have a smooth and intuitive experience in their interaction with the product.
Effects on User Behaviour
It can positively affect the audience by enriching the interaction of users with the product. It encourages users to perform certain actions by providing ease of use with instant and meaningful feedback. This process contributes to users leaving the product more satisfied. Increases loyalty.
Design Principles
Simplicity in micro-interaction design ensures that the user does not experience unnecessary complexity. The design should be prepared in accordance with the user’s current needs and context. Your design language should target user expectations, consistency rules and efficiency.
Feedback
Feedbacks help the user to understand what happens when the user performs an operation and to convey to individuals of all ages the success/failure or the stage of the operation. It reduces the lack of confidence in the mind and gains confidence. If an error occurs at the end of the process, it should be conveyed briefly and concisely, and if desired, the way to get details should be presented. It is a must for UX.
Situation and Data Visualisation
In micro-interaction, the works that inform the user by visualising the status of a process or data and enrich the interaction experience are called State/Data Visualisation.
For example; progress bars, loading animations, dynamic graphics are frequently used for these visualisations.
With these visualisations, you manage to keep the user waiting and ensure that they do not leave the system. Thus, the duration of stay in the application or on the site increases and exit rates decrease. He will also feel involved in the process.
User Tests and Feedback
As in all development processes, user tests are very important in micro-interaction design. It is of absolute importance to have the developments tested by individuals in different audiences or to collect feedback from experts.
Technologies and Tools
Many applications and tools are available to design micro-interactions. Even if you prepare your design on paper, you have to work with an application for prototyping.
You can use popular tools such as Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch for prototyping.
In addition, CSS animations, JS libraries and HTML codes are used in the front end. You can find the technologies you need to apply for dynamic user interfaces in the articles on our website.
Follow the Trends
You should follow current trends in process design and testing phases and create all your steps with new technologies. You should include current technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in your development process and experience them in appropriate steps.