A Framework for Designing Interfaces

(Originally published in 2015 at Aarki.com)

In the my last article, “Designing Joyful Experiences,” I talked about the “Do” and how you should take care in crafting your interfaces on mobile. In this article, I focus on the framework that helps us design these interactions.

Feedback

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This should be true in digital as well, be it in a mobile ad, a website, or an app. When you touch a button, you expect that button to have a reaction. The button should provide feedback to the user that it was clicked, this can be a simple sound or a change in color. When you swipe, the object you touched should follow, show relevant animation and transition in the direction the user expected it to go.

Mapping

Have you ever experienced trying to turn on a light only to find out that you used the wrong switch? That’s poor mapping. If you require the user to do something, it has to be obvious. We see mapping misused often. When building your interface, remember that your controls should always function as the user expects them to. Make it easy for your users to find the switch.

Constraint

Don’t put all of your buttons in one place, doing so makes it difficult for your product to be used. Compare your TV remote to the iPod click wheel, which one is easier to use? Constraint is your friend when it comes to making your product or app usable. Lead your users to what they need to do. Don’t confuse them with too many options.

Redundancy

A signal when repeated is understood better. Say something and then say it again. If your app requires you to tilt the phone, consider using touch controls too. This makes it easy for your users to understand, navigate, and use your product, ad or app.

These little details are what helps make your creative joyful to engage with. Contact us to learn more about joyful mobile ad engagement.

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