Microinteractions: What, Why & How to Boost User Engagement

What are Microinteractions?

Microinteractions are small, sometimes barely noticeable interactions you have with an element on a website. Their goal is to provide visual feedback, confirming action and reassuring you that something is happening.

Breaking Them Down

Microinteractions can be broken down into four key components:

1. Trigger: This is the starting point, the spark that sets the interaction in motion. It can be:

• User-initiated: A click, tap, hover, scroll, swipe, or any other intentional action you take.
• System-initiated: An automatic response to a specific event, like finishing a task, receiving a notification, or encountering an error.

2. Rules: These define the “behind-the-scenes” logic, what happens after the trigger. They determine:

• Conditions: What needs to be true for the interaction to happen (e.g., hovering over a specific element, completing a form).
• Actions: What the system does in response (e.g., animate an element, play a sound, change text).

3. Feedback: This is the visible or audible response you receive, letting you know the interaction has been acknowledged and…