Criteria

The basis of the guide and the classification system

Microinteractions

Microinteractions are small, contained interactions within a user interface focused on a single task or information. It is typically a brief, specific action or response that a user initiates or experiences, such as liking a post, setting a status, or receiving a notification. Microinteractions are often used to provide feedback, guide users, or add an element of delight to the user experience. They can help make interactions more engaging, intuitive, and satisfying and are key to designing effective and enjoyable user interfaces.

Microinteractions focus on a relationship of gesture confirmation (Said, 2022). The interface communicates to the user a state of confirmation that their action has been registered. As such, they are non-realtime interactions.

This system focuses on understanding the intent of the implementation of non-realtime interactions. Non-realtime interactions involve those interactions that occur once the user has completed an action or are not dependent on the continuous input of the user (Willenskomer, 2018).

Sourcing Microinteractions

Microinteractions for this guide are sourced from Dribbble. Dribbble is an online community and social networking platform primarily used by designers, artists, and creative professionals to showcase their work and connect with others in the industry (Dribbble, n.d.). Dribbble allows users to upload and share screenshots or short animations of their work. Dribbble is used as a source as it is accessible to search and index microinteractions. Examples of microinteractions shown in the guide are chosen from a library of microinteraction hosted on a collection in Dribbble.

\While a convenient tool for searching and indexing animations related explicitly to microinteractions, the microinteractions presented on Dribbble may not be production ready or may not be feasible to implement in a real-world scenario. These microinteractions are used to understand the intent they convey and the principles they use.

System Focus

A microinteraction consists of a trigger, rules to implement an action, feedback provided to the user, and loops and modes, if needed, to keep the interaction continuing (Saffer, 2013). This guide uses Component Groups, Motion Functions, and Motion Principles to explain the intent and structure of a microinteraction.

• Component Groups inform what the trigger of the microinteraction will be.

• Motion Functions outline the intent to microinteraction and what goal it aims to achieve.

• Motion Principles examine the implementation of the microinteraction and how it achieves the Motion Functions outlined.

Structure of a Microinteraction with the criterion identified