Microinteractions
Microinteractions are contained product moments that revolve around a single use case—they have one main task. Every time you change a setting, sync your data or devices, set an alarm, pick a password, log in, set a status message, or favorite or “like” something, you are engaging with a microinteraction. They are everywhere: in the devices we carry, the appliances in our house, the apps on our phones and desktops, even embedded in the environments we live and work in. Most appliances and some apps are built entirely around one microinteraction.
Microinteractions are good for:
- accomplishing a single task
- connecting devices together
- interacting with a single piece of data such as the temperature
- controlling an ongoing process such as music volume
- adjusting a setting
- viewing or creating a small piece of content like a status message
- turning a feature or function on or off
Get the book: Microinteractions: Full Color Edition
Micro-Interactions: a designer’s superpower
Micro interactions have four parts:
- Triggers initiate a microinteraction. Triggers can be user-initiated or system initiated.
- In a user-initiated trigger, the user has to initiate an action.
- In a system-initiated trigger, software detects certain qualifications are being met and initiates an action.
- Rules determine what happens once a microinteraction is triggered.
- Feedback lets people know what’s happening. Anything a user sees, hears, or feels while a microinteraction is happening is feedback.
- Loops and Modes determine the meta-rules of the microinteraction. What happens to a microinteraction when conditions change?
Read the article: Micro-Interactions: a designer’s superpower
Enhance your e-commerce platform with animated UX microinteractions
When applied throughout e-commerce experiences, animated microinteractions communicate system progress, improve user satisfaction, and increase conversion rates. These subtle motion effects provide quick visual feedback when a user interacts with a UI component, such as a menu or button, and are meant to improve findability and guide users as they navigate between e-commerce pages. In addition to helping users find and buy products, they can foster habit loops that result in repeat customers.
Learn how you can Elevate Your E-commerce Journey With Animated UX Microinteractions