Small, delightful animations that provide feedback and make the UI feel alive.
Micro-interactions are the secret sauce of great product design. They acknowledge user actions, provide immediate feedback, and guide attention. While often subtle, they significantly enhance the perceived performance and quality of an application.
Test how timing and easing affect the feel of common interactions.
What starts the interaction? Can be user-initiated (click, hover) or system-initiated (notification).
What happens once triggered? The logic that determines the behavior of the interaction.
How the user knows what's happening. Visual, auditory, or haptic cues.
How long does it last? Does it repeat? How does it change over time?
Ensure the animation serves a function (e.g., showing status) rather than just being decorative.
Keep interactions snappy (usually under 300ms) so they don't slow down the user.
Don't distract the user. The best micro-interactions are felt, not seen.