One of the big challenges that come from developing a properly interactive web design is the fact that there are just so many options available that a user can use. Some designs, as an example, can be completely seamless, perfectly navigating an individual from point to point with little confusion. Other designs, on the other hand, may be so varied and disorganized that the web user walks away more confused than when he started.
6. Include Micro-Interactions
While the big “in your face” animations certainly hold tremendous value, it’s the smaller animations throughout the platform that sells the experience.
By using smaller micro-interactions, a user can more freely connect with what they are doing without becoming distracted by the big and loud animation types out there.
What exactly are micro-interactions and how can they help you in producing an effective web design?
While somewhat broad of a category, micro-interactions are all of the smaller (micro) ways you might otherwise interact with a web page. Things like clicking on an icon, bookmarking or setting a notification, pulling a refresh, or closing out a window. All of these individual aspects can be noted as potentially being animated and made more interactive.
Some of the more popular animation styles for these micro-interactions can include turning an icon into a checkmark and turning a button green when clicked.
These, while small and, by themselves, insignificant, different interactions tell a person that they have effectively altered the normally static world of a web page, something that causes a slight sense of satisfaction and enjoyment whenever performed.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, where the rubber meets the road, to have a truly responsive and engaging web design, it’s going to have to be interactive. When a visitor goes to your website, there must be a reason for them to stick around despite the thousands of other options available to them. If you are presenting information, why should they visit your site and not read an encyclopedia?
As people, we love to interact with the world around us. By giving your web design some of these features, you are allowing yourself the chance to properly impress your viewers in a way your competition simply won’t.
Follow the above tips as a great foundational place to allow your web design to stand out from the crowd and be something people visit again and again.
