1.2 Micro Interactions Flashcards
What is a micro-interaction?
A contained product-moment focused around a single task.
It’s about honing in on the individual details of a design.
What is the difference between macro-interaction and micro-interaction?
Macro-interaction is a feature. It can be complex, time-consuming, and cognitively engaging. While a micro-interaction is a small part of a feature. It’s simple, brief, often forgettable, and easily overlooked.
What are the 3 core components of micro-interaction?
- Trigger
- Rules
- Feedback
What is a trigger?
A trigger is what initiates the micro-interaction.
Make the trigger something the target users will recognize as a trigger in context.
e.g.)
Physical-world: Press switch
Digital-world: Like button, comment button, share button, live video, photo, check-in, “what’s on your mind” field, search field, messenger icon, link to website, etc.
What is a manual trigger?
Triggered by user when they want to do something,
e.g.) compose a new email
What is a system trigger?
Triggered by the system when certain conditions are met.
e.g.) Notification on new email
Affordances are used to create which type of trigger? Manual or system?
Manual
What is a rule?
Rules determine what happens after the trigger.
e.g.) Light switch
Trigger: Press switch
Rule: Light stays on until pressed again.
- What’s the goal?
- How does the micro interaction respond to the trigger?
- What control does the user have while the MI is in progress?
- In which order do the rules play out?
- What feedback will be delivered?
- Does it repeat?
- What happens when it ends?
What is Interaction Design?
Creating the conversation a product or system has with its users.
What are the best interactions?
Smooth, wordless, and you feel understood.
What is feedback?
Help users understand how the rules of the microinteraction work.
Feedback helps users understand how the rules work.
When should feedback occur?
- After a manual trigger
- After a system trigger that initiates a substantial change
- If an error is about to occur
- If the system can’t execute an action
- To indicate progress of a rule after triggering (Downloads)
When is a good time to add personality to your design to relieve tension? Give an example.
Errors or frustrating moments.
e.g.) 404 page
Does feedback always have to be visual?
No. It can be a sound or haptic feedbacks (vibrations)
How can you get better at micro-interactions?
- Look at a lot of user interfaces
* Ask yourself, “what kind of micro-interactions are there? Why did the designer make those choices?”
