Microinteractions are the small, focused moments that help users do one thing well: tap a button, save a setting, see a status. They clarify cause and effect, reduce uncertainty, and add character. Great microinteractions are invisible when you’re busy, and delightful when you notice them — always purposeful, never gratuitous.
Start with feedback. Every action should have an immediate response: a pressed state, a progress pulse, or a confirmation toast. Use duration thoughtfully: 120–200ms for taps, 200–300ms for transitions that change layout. Ease curves matter; standardize your motion tokens so interactions feel cohesive across the product.
Give controls personality without noise. A favorite animation can be a quick scale-and-fade with an elastic ease, but provide prefers-reduced-motion alternatives. For loading, replace spinners with skeletons that hint at structure. For errors, pair color with iconography and copy that explains next steps.
Context is key. A microinteraction for sign-in should be calm and reassuring; for a purchase confirmation, celebratory but brief. Align behavior with brand voice: crisp for enterprise dashboards, playful for consumer apps. Test with users: if an animation slows them down or draws attention away from a goal, cut it.
Technical guardrails keep interactions snappy. Favor CSS transforms and opacity for GPU acceleration. Batch DOM reads and writes, and avoid layout thrash. Keep animation work off the main thread where possible. Document motion guidelines in your design system so teams ship consistent, accessible, and fast interactions.