At present, it is quite common to have touch devices. Mobile devices, in particular, have become quite popular due to their great functionality and size. As the technology progresses little by little and the tactile devices seem to have come to stay, it is essential for top app development companies to know about the interaction design to create fluid navigation and optimal user experience.

What is interaction design?

Interaction design refers to the design of interactive products, environments, systems, and services. The term was coined in the 80s as a response to the new challenges of interactive interfaces.

The interaction design focuses on the user. For this reason, it is essential for top app development companies to conduct research on users and understand their needs. Although this type of design focuses on the user, a balance must be found between the user’s expectations and objectives, as well as technological progress.

Designs must have an objective

One of the major principles of interaction design is that it must have a purpose. These objectives are related to the needs of the user, that is why the designers must have a clear idea about the characteristics, habits, and preferences of the users.

Some of the tools that are usually used to understand users are the following:

• User profiles: They are used to have a broader view of users. The profiles don’t only include general but also specific data such as the activities you do in your free time, your interests, goals, etc.
• Development of scenarios: Together with the profiles, they are used to create a kind of simulation of the moment in which the user will interact with the product. Developing these scenarios can be helpful when making a design decision.
• User experience maps: These maps are used as a record of the user experience based on the context of an interaction. It includes, not only the general data, but also the circumstances of the user’s interaction and possible emotions.

The interface should be simple to use

Usability also plays an important role in interaction design. In any digital product, usability is a desired and necessary characteristic. After all, if the application is not easy to use, it is likely that there are not many people willing to download the application and use it daily. The interaction design considers the usability of the interfaces so that they are easier to understand and users can learn to use them without difficulties.

You’re probably already familiar with usability and everything that it implies. After all, you probably have a smartphone or a tablet. If so, you should have a few applications installed. All these applications remain installed on the device because they facilitate a task and are simple to use. One of the best ways to learn about usability is to perform an analysis on the applications you have installed on your mobile.

The learning process must be fast

Web pages usually use certain family interaction patterns so that the user knows how to navigate the page. In applications, this same principle is used and mobile gestures are used so that the user can handle the application more easily. Because you get used to certain mobile gestures to control the device, you expect to also use them in the application. Many developers use mobile gestures known by the user in their application. In this way, the user learns to use the application more easily.

In certain occasions, it will be necessary to teach some additional gestures to the user, so it is never a bad idea to post a tutorial or small tips that guide the user the first time they use an application.

Take into account the interaction patterns known by the user when creating an application. It is also helpful to study other applications and verify how fast the learning process is and what is done to make this process simple.

Visual indicators should be used

Established practices and interaction patterns are very helpful to top app development companies when creating an interface. However, the visual aspect of the interface must also be taken into account. In this aspect, there are also certain characteristics that users associate with certain typical elements of an application. For example, the fact that a hamburger menu is used in an application. Although this icon can have different styles and colors, in essence, it never changes. This happens because if the icon changes, the user may no longer recognize it as a hamburger menu.

These visual clues are important to improve the user experience and to make the user’s adaptation process easier.

The response time must be reduced

Response time is one of the main characteristics of a good interaction design. As you should know, response time influences the user experience and is an essential factor. If your application has a great interface design that is easy to use and understand, but the response time is not adequate, it is likely that users decide to stop using your application.

It is also important to make the user understand when an action has been completed or is in process. These two practices greatly improve the user experience and could even be considered as necessary measures for the application to be usable. If the application does not give certain information about the actions that are being carried out, the user will not know with certainty if said actions have been completed or not.

In conclusion

Interaction design is a practice that will become more important as new technologies progress. It will be useful to learn the basics of this type of design so you can create incredible interfaces for your users.

This article is contributed by Ricky Brown, content strategist and marketer at App Development Companies.

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