Microinteractions are small, focused interactions in UI design that help users accomplish tasks quickly and easily.

Getting Started

If you’re a UI designer, developer, or someone interested in creating better user experiences, learning about microinteractions is crucial.

Microinteractions are small, interactive design elements that occur within a larger user interface.

They are the details that make a user interface feel alive and responsive.

Microinteractions are for anyone who wants to create a better user experience.

Whether you’re designing a website, mobile app, or any other digital product, microinteractions can help you create a more engaging and interactive experience for your users.

How to

Identify the user goals: Before designing microinteractions, you need to understand the user’s goals and what they want to achieve through the interaction.
Define the trigger: The trigger is the event that initiates the microinteraction. It could be a click, hover, swipe, or any other action that the user takes.
Create the feedback: Feedback is the response that the user receives after triggering the microinteraction. It could be a sound, animation, or any other visual cue that lets the user know that their action was successful.
Add the loops and modes: Loops and modes are the different states that the microinteraction can exist in. Loops are the repeating actions that occur when the user triggers the microinteraction multiple times. Modes are the different variations of the microinteraction that occur based on user input or system conditions.
Test and refine: Once you’ve created the microinteraction, test it with users and refine it based on their feedback.

Best Practices

Keep it simple: Microinteractions should be simple and easy to understand. Avoid adding too many elements that could confuse the user.
Be consistent: Use consistent design elements throughout your microinteractions to create a cohesive user experience.
Provide feedback: Make sure the user receives feedback after triggering a microinteraction. This helps them understand that their action was successful.
Test and iterate: Test your microinteractions with real users and iterate based on their feedback. This helps you create a better user experience.

Examples

Imagine you’re designing a mobile app that allows users to track their fitness goals.

You want to create a microinteraction that lets users log their water intake.

Here’s how you could design the microinteraction:

User Goal: Log water intake

Trigger: User taps the “log water” button

Feedback: A pop-up appears, asking the user to enter the amount of water they drank.

Once they enter the amount, a checkmark appears to let them know their action was successful.

Loops and Modes: If the user taps the “log water” button multiple times, the pop-up appears again.

If the user enters an invalid value, an error message appears.

By designing this microinteraction, you’ve created a more engaging and interactive experience for your users.