Interaction design defines how people interact with systems. It covers feedback, animations, transitions, and all moments users interact with products.
Good interaction design feels natural and intuitive. Users understand what is happening and what will happen next.
Core Principles
Consistency: Interactions behave consistently. Users learn patterns.
Feedback: Systems provide feedback about actions. Users understand whether actions worked.
Constraints: Systems prevent invalid actions. Users avoid mistakes.
Recovery: Systems help users recover from mistakes.
Mapping: Controls map to effects. Users understand relationships.
Microinteractions
Microinteractions are small interactions - button clicks, form submissions, notifications. Microinteractions should:
- Provide Feedback: Users know actions worked
- Feel Responsive: Interactions feel immediate
- Be Delightful: Interactions should slightly surprise and delight
- Not Distract: Interactions should support tasks, not distract
Animations and Transitions
Animations should:
- Have Purpose: Animations clarify relationships or provide feedback
- Be Appropriate Speed: Too fast is jarring; too slow is tedious
- Be Smooth: Rough animations feel unpolished
- Respect Preferences: Respect prefers-reduced-motion
States
Interactive elements have states:
- Default: Normal state
- Hover: When cursor is over (not on touch)
- Focus: When element is focused (keyboard or click)
- Active: When element is being interacted with
- Disabled: When element cannot be interacted with
All states should be visually distinct.
Feedback
Feedback tells users actions worked:
- Visual: Changing colour, size, or appearance
- Audio: Sounds (use cautiously)
- Haptic: Vibration (on mobile)
- Text: Messages confirming actions
Loading States
Loading states tell users content is loading. Skeleton screens and progress indicators show activity.
Feedback prevents users wondering if something is happening.
Errors
Error messages should:
- Be Clear: Explain what went wrong
- Be Helpful: Suggest how to fix
- Be Polite: Avoid blaming users
Preventing errors is better than recovering from them.
Confirmation
Destructive actions (deletes) should confirm. Confirmation prevents accidental data loss.
Tooltips
Tooltips provide help. Tooltips should be helpful, not obvious. "Save button" is obvious. "Saves the current document" is helpful.
Gestures
Gestures (swipe, pinch, long-press) should:
- Be Discoverable: Users should discover gestures
- Have Alternatives: Gestures should not be the only way
Gestures delight but should not be required.
Accessibility in Interactions
Interactions must work via keyboard and for screen reader users. Colour should not be the only feedback. Animations should respect preferences.
Performance
Interactions should feel responsive. Slow interactions feel broken. Optimising performance improves interaction quality.
Testing Interactions
Testing interactions with users reveals whether interactions feel intuitive. Users may struggle with interactions designers found obvious.
PixelForce's Interaction Design
PixelForce designs interactions that feel natural and intuitive. Testing ensures interactions work as expected.
Tools
Tools including Framer, Principle, and Figma enable designing and prototyping interactions.
The Future
AI may generate micro-interactions automatically. Voice and gesture interfaces expand interaction possibilities.
Interaction design is increasingly important as products become complex. Delightful, intuitive interactions differentiate products.