During the announcement of the new iPhone this week, Apple unveiled their new “3D Touch” interaction model, which involves new ways of accessing functions and features. The big demo of this new model involved how in the upcoming version of iOS users can access contextual functions without having to open the program. Now some of the tasks they showed off were rather trite (“Look, I can take a quick selfie!”), but even so there was real value displayed in this new way of getting things done.
This interaction model is an example of what some are now calling “micro-interactions” – quick discrete functions that support simple tasks. The idea is that users do certain key things all the time, and this model allows for users to accomplish these tasks with less or minimal “friction free” effort.
Another type of “micro-interaction” is being rolled out by Amazon, through their Dash button. The Dash Button, first announced on April Fool’s Day (which lead many people to think it was a joke), allows users to click a pre-programmed button to reorder household supplies, such as laundry detergent or diapers. One push, and an order is sent to Amazon, using the credit-card that is on file. No fuss, no muss.
This is a design trend that is one to pay attention to, as it allows for more efficient user interaction and task completion. I can imagine that this interaction model will be quickly embraced by independent developers, though some may avoid it in order to not lose any ad impressions (if users can accomplish a task without opening an app, they won’t see any embedded ads).
(We may get to the point where our kids look at apps and say something similar to what the future kids in Back to the Future II said, “Aww, that’s lame. You have to open the app!”)
Micro-interactions such as this aren’t just limited to apps and screens, of course. As we see more apps like Siri and Cortana expand it’s capabilities, and Internet of Things being used and applied in multiple industries, there is a real shift in what we as UX practitioners need to focus on. It’s less about designing screens and more about getting the experience right – which involves content and tone and information architecture a lot more than UI design.