How can you optimize a new system for microinteractions and animations?

Microinteractions and animations are essential elements of a user-friendly and engaging system. They can enhance the usability, feedback, and personality of your interface, as well as create a memorable and delightful user experience. However, designing and implementing them effectively requires careful planning, testing, and optimization. In this article, you will learn how to optimize a new system for microinteractions and animations, using some principles and best practices of information architecture.

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1 Define your goals and scope

Before you start adding microinteractions and animations to your system, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how they fit into your overall design strategy. You should define your goals and scope for each microinteraction and animation, such as what function they serve, what user problem they solve, what emotion they evoke, and what context they apply to. You should also consider the constraints and limitations of your system, such as the platform, the performance, the accessibility, and the compatibility.

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Matthieu 🤟 Bolufer

Votre ROCKSTAR du design - CEO & head of design @Creano Paris - Devenez incontournable sur le web et sur LinkedIn + 300 projets digitaux - TOP 1% design graphique LK
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Et bien le résumé de ce point 1 suffit presque à lui même en réalité... A chaque projet immersif, je me pose déjà la question de l'utilité des animations. Je reste persuader que l'animation est loin d'etre une nécessité. > Le message peut il être traduit autrement ? Plus simplement ? > Le budget le permet il..? > Les animations servent-ils ma lecture du site en mobile ? Et... L'éco-conception est une arme aujourd'hui, cette pratique nous permet de nous remettre en question. A méditer.

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2 Design your microinteractions and animations

Once you have defined your goals and scope, you can start designing your microinteractions and animations, applying some basic principles of information architecture. Aim for simplicity, consistency, intuitiveness, and meaningfulness. Additionally, when creating effective microinteractions and animations, consider using them to provide feedback, guidance, confirmation, or reward to the user. Animations should be used to create transitions, highlight changes, or draw attention to important elements. Keep in mind the appropriate timing, duration, speed, style, color, shape, and movement for your microinteractions and animations - depending on the type, function, context, mood, tone and brand identity of your system - avoiding anything too fast/slow/long/frequent/flashy/dull/complex/generic.

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3 Test your microinteractions and animations

Testing your microinteractions and animations with real users is essential to evaluate their usability, effectiveness, and satisfaction. You can use various techniques to collect feedback and data, such as usability testing, user feedback, and analytics. Usability testing involves observing how users interact with your system, using tasks, scenarios, or questions. User feedback can be gathered through surveys, interviews, or focus groups. Analytics can track and analyze user engagement with metrics, indicators, or reports. This will help identify any issues, problems, or opportunities for improvement.

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4 Optimize your microinteractions and animations

Testing the results of your microinteractions and animations can help you optimize them in order to improve their quality, efficiency, and consistency. Additionally, any changes, updates, or enhancements should be implemented to make them more user-friendly and engaging. A/B testing can be used to compare two or more versions of your microinteractions and animations with different parameters, in order to measure their impact on user behavior and preference. Prototyping can also be used to create and refine low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes of your microinteractions and animations, using sketches, wireframes, or mockups, which can then be tested with users or stakeholders. Finally, documentation should be utilized to document and communicate your microinteractions and animations using specifications, guidelines, or patterns; this will ensure alignment with your design standards and best practices.

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Matthieu 🤟 Bolufer

Votre ROCKSTAR du design - CEO & head of design @Creano Paris - Devenez incontournable sur le web et sur LinkedIn + 300 projets digitaux - TOP 1% design graphique LK
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Un élément capital dans les animations sur le digital, c'est leur poids et leur compatibilité avec leur supports. Je vois beaucoup trop de créatifs s'extasier devant des effets "waou" sans grande utilité, ou trop complexe niveau faisabilité. Le prototypage permet en effet de faire valider à l'ensemble de la chaine de production et aux validateurs les interactions et les animations. Pour de l'interface web ou mobile, Figma devient de plus en plus incroyable pour les anim et les transitions, et c'est très visuel pour valider les objectifs de mouvements !

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you optimize a new system for microinteractions and animations?

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2

3

4

5

1 Define your goals and scope

2 Design your microinteractions and animations

3 Test your microinteractions and animations

4 Optimize your microinteractions and animations

5 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

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How can you optimize a new system for microinteractions and animations?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Define your goals and scope

2 Design your microinteractions and animations

3 Test your microinteractions and animations

4 Optimize your microinteractions and animations

5 Here’s what else to consider

Information Architecture

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