The key to creating a successful interactive experience is to keep it simple. In the real world, we are constantly interacting with and responding to stimuli both consciously and unconsciously. More and more, our digital world is beginning to mimic that experience. But how can a flat screen interact with a human user? The answer is microinteractions. Interactions provide us with instant feedback, reducing the amount of guesswork and allowing us to make each decision that much easier. Taken at scale, interactions play a huge part in making or breaking our experience with any digital product.
Let’s take a look at an example of a microinteraction. In this design, the heart icon changes color and animates as the user taps it.
Follow these steps to learn how to incorporate this technique into your own prototype:
1. Create or retrieve your heart icon + Insert it within your file
2. Duplicate your heart icon with its variants, and create your component variant set.
a. Set up your interactions.
3. When you’re done, close the loop by connecting your prototype link back to the start of your flow.
4. Preview your prototype!
Enhancing with Micro-interactions can greatly improve the interactive experience of any digital product. By simplifying the user interface and providing instant feedback, microinteractions can help users make decisions more easily and create a sense of accomplishment. In the next chapter of this guide, we’ll show you how to implement overlays to prototype screens and create a seamless flow of content. Be sure to continue reading to learn more practical tips and techniques for designing engaging interactive experiences.