The 4 Key Components of Microinteractions
Microinteractions are the magic little things that keep users coming back to the products they love. They’re the satisfying little details that happen when users perform a single task. Products that use them effectively win the hearts of users and keep them coming back for more.
Microinteractions can be broken down into four components: The trigger, the rules, feedback, and loops/modes. Each of these components are critical to building a successful microinteraction.
The Components
The Trigger: This is the event that starts the microinteraction. Triggers can be broken up into two groups. Manual triggers happen when someone interacts with the product intentionally. These are things like the flip of a switch or push of a button. In many modern devices, it could even a clap or a wave of the hand. System triggers are automatic and occur when certain conditions are met.
The Rules: These are the parameters the microinteraction follows. What happens when you push the button? What can or cannot be done? The rules define exactly what happens after a trigger is performed. For example, with your car key fob, when you push the lock button, your car door locks.
Feedback: This is the verification of the microinteraction, the signal to the user that their action has been acknowledged. It can be a sound, a visual cue, vibration, movement, or something else. For example, an iPhone vibrates when it is switched to silent mode.
Loops and Modes: A loop determines the length of the microinteraction. It determines whether the interaction repeats or if it changes over time. When you finish a load of laundry, your washing machine will play a sound and if you don’t open the washer door, it will repeat to remind you. You want to be reminded that your wet clothes are finished so they don’t sit there and get moldy. In this case, it’s important, but not every microinteraction needs to be repeated. Modes change the typical way things function and operate. Examples of this are changing a location in a weather app or setting a ‘Do not disturb’ mode on your phone.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up: The trigger initiates the feedback, the rules define what type of feedback occurs, and the loops and modes help define special cases where that feedback occurs or not.
As designers, it’s important that we use microinteractions effectively as they can really take our products to the next level.
