The term Interaction Design (IxD) is commonly used by designers to enhance their designs and market products. However, it’s important for designers to realize that IxD goes beyond aesthetics. Its true power lies in making applications user-centric, playing a crucial role in delivering a great user experience.
IxD focuses on how users interact with your product. It’s about the ongoing communication between the user and the application at every moment. For example, global navigation that stays fixed at the top of the page as the user scrolls ensures consistent accessibility. Another example is a search bar that provides intelligent suggestions as the user types, improving the overall experience. These are just two examples of how products engage with users. There are many elements involved, including buttons, links, forms, navigation menus, pop-ups, alerts, listings, and entire pages. IxD is currently one of the most important practices in creating optimal user experiences. A good analogy is the old public phone booths — when you inserted a coin, the machine made a satisfying click, letting you know you could now make a call. This simple interaction was both intuitive and rewarding.
Note: Many people misunderstand IxD, leading to poor user experiences and even product failure. Some confuse IxD with micro-interactions, which are responsible for small, aesthetically pleasing transitions. While important, micro-interactions are just one aspect of IxD.
What is Interaction Design?
IxD is a process that creates engaging experiences through the logical behaviors and actions of various elements or components. It’s centered on how the application interacts with the user, delivering maximum value and satisfaction. IxD is an essential component in crafting exceptional user experiences.
The Five Key Pillars of Interaction Design
Goal-Driven DesignPersonas: Conducting user research is essential to understand real-world scenarios and problems. Who are the people facing these challenges?User Stories: Defining clear user stories helps outline what we want to achieve for our personas. These stories provide logical context, guiding the design toward perfection.
2. User Expectations
Let’s apply Newton’s third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The human brain anticipates certain outcomes from actions, and this principle holds true in user interactions with applications. For instance, if you toss a coin, you expect to hear a clinking sound when it hits the floor. Similarly, when a user interacts with an application, they expect appropriate feedback. Facebook, for example, offers a subtle “plop” sound when a user taps the “like” button, providing immediate, satisfying confirmation. Another example is when a user submits a form; they expect either a success message or an error alert if something needs correction. This is the essence of Interaction Design.
3. Usability
The design should be intuitive enough that users don’t have to spend time figuring out how to use the application. Instead, they should be able to focus on completing their tasks. The product should be easy to use, with functions that are straightforward and understandable.
4. Utility
This is one of the most important factors in IxD: does the feature serve a useful purpose, or is it just there for aesthetic reasons? The functionality should solve a problem or fulfill a need. There must be a clear, logical reason behind every function, ensuring it adds real value to the user.
5. Affordance and Signifiers
Affordance refers to a feature that indicates its own use. A signifier is a cue that helps clarify how to use that feature. For example, a door naturally suggests that it can be opened — this is affordance. The doorknob serves as the signifier, showing exactly how to open the door.
Interaction Design in 2024 was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
