Users interact with your website in all kinds of ways, for a range of different purposes. From opening a menu, to watching a video, or even ordering a products, interaction, and interactivity, is key. But have you considered micro-interactions? Designing effective micro-interactions can help to build user trust, and improve the user experience. But what are micro-interactions? And how can these be used effectively in web design? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. We work with companies in a range of sectors across the North West, including those in Blackburn and Chorley, to provide top quality, effective web design solutions. As a result, we have produced this guide to using micro-interactions in web design.
What are micro-interactions in web design?
First of all, what exactly are micro-interactions? Well, these are responses to small interactions that are often overlooked by many web designers. This could include small animations, colour changes or even a small popup. And by responding to interactions on the website, however small, you can help to improve the user experience, promoting further sales and sign ups.
What are the considerations for using micro-interactions in web design effectively?
So, how can micro-interactions improve the user experience? And how can you use these effectively? Well, you should consider:
- Scrolling progress icon- if your website pages are long, a unique scrolling icon can help to keep your website users motivated to scroll by encouraging further interaction, and showing the scroll progress.
- Error message box- a small popup that appears when your users enter a wrong value into an input box can help users identify the issue and resolve it quickly, speeding up any form filling processes.
- Loading animation- once a user has clicked a link or button, you need them to know that the request is being processed. Show some feedback with a loading animation that can be universally recognized, showing the progress of the page loading time.
- Swipe transitions- users dont just have to scroll down your web page vertically, they could also swipe across on a mobile device. You could reward this micro-interaction with a colour change, or a subtle animation, to trigger endorphins and keep your users happy.
- Animating input fields- input fields are tolerated by website users, although nobody enjoys filling in online forms. You can make the process more pleasant by adding a subtle animation, hover effect, completion effect or colour change, once the box has been filled in. A green tick next to each box is one of the most common micro-interactions in this instance.
- Call to action buttons– Your CTAs are there to attract user attention, and encourage user interaction. Adding animation to your CTA buttons can help encourage action from your users. And at the very least, make them curious about what might happen.
For more information or advice, about professional web design and web marketing support, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.