Interaction Design Principles for Creating Excellent Product Experiences

In product development, a good interactive experience directly affects user retention and satisfaction. This article will explore how to enhance product experience through interaction design from several key dimensions.

Reducing Waiting Anxiety

Users typically have a patience threshold of no more than 3 seconds for page loading. How can we keep users patient while they wait?

1. Optimize Loading Experience

• Use skeleton screens instead of full-screen loading.
• Progressive loading: first display the main content framework, then gradually load details.
• Prioritize loading content in the visible area.
• Use progressive loading for images.
• Preload content for the next page.

2. Reasonable Progress Feedback

• For operations that take a long time, provide an estimated completion time.
• Use progress bars or dynamic prompts to alleviate waiting anxiety.
• Support asynchronous processing, allowing users to continue other operations.

Minimizing Disruption Principle

1. Avoid Full-Screen Overlays

Full-screen overlays forcibly interrupt the user’s workflow and should be avoided whenever possible. Consider:

• Local loading instead of full-screen loading.
• Silent background data updates.
• Light prompts (Toast) or bubble notifications.

2. Hierarchical Handling of Disruption Scenarios

Choose appropriate notification methods based on the importance of the information:

• Important information: modal dialog.
• General notifications: badges or bubbles.
• System messages: top notification bar.
• Operation results: immediate feedback.

Friendly Error Handling

1. Translating Error Messages

Technical error messages often leave users confused; they should be translated into user-friendly language:

❌ "Error: Database connection timeout"
✅ "The system is busy, please try again later"

2. Accurate Feedback Location

Feedback on operations should appear where the user’s attention is focused:

• Copy success prompts should be near the copy button.
• Form validation errors should be displayed next to the corresponding fields.
• Submission status should be reflected at the submission button location.

Maintaining Operational Continuity

1. Scene Preservation

• After adding to cart, use a small pop-up prompt instead of directly jumping to the shopping cart.
• Handle login expiration with a pop-up layer instead of redirecting to the login page.
• Use lightweight feedback methods for operation results.

2. Provide Follow-Up Guidance

• Offer clear solutions when errors occur.
• Provide next-step suggestions upon completion of operations.
• Use a friendly tone to avoid making users feel troubled.

Conclusion

Good interaction design should be seamless; it allows users to focus on their goals rather than thinking about how to use the product. By reducing waiting anxiety, minimizing disruptions, handling errors in a friendly manner, and maintaining operational continuity, we can significantly enhance the user experience of the product.

Remember: The best interaction design is one that users do not even notice.