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Micro Interactions: Take User Experience at New Level

 

What Are Micro Interactions and What Is Their Purpose? 

A well-designed mobile application capitalizes on the ability to create experiences that are positive, personalized, engaging, and valuable. This is done by creating a visually appealing interface and pairing it with a meaningful experience that is emotional, user-friendly, and accessible without instruction. Companies building digital products like mobile applications, it is critical to creating, retaining, and building business momentum. Why? Simply because poor user experience results in your end users feeling a negative emotional connection to your product. Micro interactions are the small moments in user journey that influence users through feedback, rewards, and direction. These elements can take a good digital product and make it exceptional.

Many of us are unaware of the countless micro interactions we come across on a daily basis because these moments are programmed by keeping social engineering in mind. An example of a micro interaction would be the download animation you see after tapping a file to download or the animation and sound you hear when you lock and unlock your phone. A micro interaction has one single purpose, to create an emotional moment that is engaging, informative  and constructive for next step we want targeted user to perform.

There are four basic elements that make up a micro interaction.

The first is a trigger, which is what initiates the interaction. This could be anything from clicking a specific element on the interface or touching a notification that pops up. A trigger can be user-initiated or a system-initiated trigger, which requires software to initiate an action once certain qualifications are met.

The second element are the rules that determine what happens once a micro interaction has been triggered.

The third is the feedback provided to help the user understand what is happening. While a micro interaction is occurring, anything that the user hears, sees, or feels is considered feedback. In most cases, feedback is provided to show the user that the micro interaction has been successfully completed.

Finally, the fourth, the loops and modes that are used to determine the duration of the interaction and what actions the user needs to make to continue the process of the event. These also determine what happens to a micro interaction when the conditions or rule sets change.

Why Do Micro Interactions Matter?

 

The primary reason why micro interactions matter is because they often evoke a positive, emotional response from the user while simultaneously keeping them engaged and interested. Beyond this, they also help with the following:

  • Website navigation is improved as users find it easier to interact with a website that as mini-directions and feedback,
  • They provide instant and relevant feedback about completed interactions,
  • They provide direction or tip off the user as to whether they are using the website or mobile application correctly,
  • They communicate important information about the design interface of the device or software,
  • By providing visual animation and response, a user feels more rewarded,
  • They encourage the user to like, share, or interact with content,
  • They teach the user how to work within the system they are in,
  • They pull in and direct user attention,

When done right, not only do micro interactions provide immediate visual feedback to the user, but they also influence users’ actions and produce positive feelings about your mobile application, brand, and business.

When Should Micro Interactions Be Used?  

In mobile applications, micro interactions should be used at any time where communication is required with the user.  There are generally seven types of micro interactions that should be used at specific times.

  1. Swiping is probably one of the most well known micro interactions due to how interactive it is. Not only does it help guide the user subconsciously but it can help a user switch between pages or tabs of information in an addictive and fun way.
  2. Whenever a user has to input data, using animations like password strength provides some interactivity to an otherwise frustrating and dull experience. This helps keep users engaged with the process while accomplishing the end-goal.
  3. Animations are used with micro interactions as a way to improve or enable them. They can personify a micro interaction, make a micro interaction interesting, and produce a unique aesthetic style.
  4. A current system status micro interaction is used whenever a user needs to be kept informed about the status of what is happening with the application. For instance, when a user goes to upload a document to the cloud, a status bar keeps the user engaged into what is happening and whether the process is successful or not. If there is no micro interaction at all, a user is more likely to get frustrated and exit the application.
  5. You can make tutorials or information interesting by highlighting and simplifying the features and controls of the application through micro interactions.
  6. A micro interaction can be used to nudge the user towards a call to action by providing a rewarding experience for completing the call to action.
  7. Animated buttons are used to provide a seamless transition from one interaction to another. Within this interaction, things like loading bars and special effects show the user how to move through the engaged process.

How Are Micro Interactions Designed? 

Through careful design experimentation. Animations need to be aesthetically pleasing, functional and enhance the user experience. If you use too many animations, this becomes an annoying user-experience and so developers should focus on minimalistic, intuitive, & entertaining designs that aim to please. 

What Are Some Tools Used to Create Micro Interactions?  

  • If you are able to code micro interactions, use tools like Xcode and Android Studio for mobile, Framer for web and mobile, and CSS animation for just web interactions.
  • If you want to design an interaction between a touch-screen push and a module, you can use both Invision and Marvel.
  • If you want extremely detailed interactions, choose Principle, Adobe CC, Protopie, or Origami Studio.
  • If you want to create interactions and add in animations, use After Effects.

Here are few more examples of Micro Interactions.

    

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5 Most Important contextual tips for your Next IT Project

Be it Small project or large scale project these 5 Principle will ensure to improve success ratio of your next project

  1. Make sure error messages are contextual. Not just plain simple. Based on nature of business error messages should be friendly, strict, humorous but should not be plain.
  2. Make sure all Buttons in your next project are contextual. Do not just end up with “Submit”. Button / Anchors are main call to actions in which drives business. Make-sure to use language which your target audience can understand + enticing enough to drive user action as per your goal.
  3. Show your system’s navigation to 10-15year kid. If he is unable to navigate properly, change navigation system. If system is not easy to navigate users are like to leave & never return back.
  4. Ensure to load your screen with in 3 seconds even at low bandwidth internet. Implement special architecture for low bandwidth internet. User does not trust the app or web which takes more time on loading. If content is not loading with in 3 seconds you are likely to loose the visitor & potential customer.
  5. Make enough effort on Dashboard of the system be it Admin or User. This Screen is going to be used maximum amount of time. If it is not appropriate enough system is going to die quickly ( even before your realise), Every pixel on Dashboard matters. Probably value of every pixel is more then 1 sq.ft space in Manhattan. So give top level effort on making it super useful ( graphs, charts, analytics, updates, setting ,configuration, numbers & what not)
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LetsNurture Brings ‘Konnected Art’, iBeacon Technology, with ‘no coding required’ For Museums Management

KonnectedArt-for-museums

iBeacon technology has already been used in diverse industries ranging from retail to hospitality and museums. We’ve seen adoption from a small number of high-profile brands, such as Disney, Hudson’s Bay Company and SXSW.

iBeacons have been proven to boost the purchase intent twenty times.

iBeacon app development constructs a good impact on the retail sales. It is noted that customers are likely to keep a retailer app installed if they received iBeacon notifications through it. The only problem lies in the adoption of a technology that not every consumer is aware of. It’s a particular stretch for small businesses to invest. LetsNurture has introduced KonnectedArt to solve such issues.

iBeacon app development where ‘no coding required’

Museums and Art galleries are one of the industries that have invested in these technologies and are glad to do so. Museums are looking for innovative ways to interact with visitors. KonnectedArt, is an IoT solution that provides the interactive ways to connect the visitors with the art.

A beacon associated with the art or a particular art segment, sends a signal to the server and the server then fetches the data inputs to notify the visitors. The data can be a detailed description of art, an audio or visual display of the description or merely the directions.

Step-by-step implementation of the iBeacon solution for your museum

  • Once you have decided where you want the beacons to be set up, all you have to do is login into the KonnectedArt admin portal.
  • Each beacon comes with an unique ID. You can add details of the art or segment associated with that beacon. The details can be the descriptions or audio/video.

iBeacon solution for your museum

  • You can add custom notification as per the art segment or user type. The visitors get notified about the art as they explore each segment.
  • You can also send personalized notifications according to the users. If you would like to notify the audience about the upcoming event that is specific for jewelry designing, you can target the female visitors as a priority.

KonnectedArt for museums

KonnectedArt for museums – More features with no coding

A customized iBeacon app, KonnectedArt, makes it possible for the museum owners to send location-specific information and create awesome user experiences, such as:

Digitize Information: Replace brochures, pamphlets and other printed material with beacons that transmit online content. Save time and money printing and update the content in real-time to be more environmentally friendly.

Self-guided Tours: Create multimedia tour guides for cities, museums, galleries and attractions with iBeacon app development. Let the visitors use their smartphones as their guide. Provide your visitors with indoor maps, photos, videos, and audio to interact with the art at their own pace.

Floor Management: The museum management can rely on the real-time dashboard to manage the peak hours. When any floor or area gets too congested, the admin can notify the visitors and manage the flow indisputably.

Automation & IoT: Share information in real-time. Let the visitors know about the latest news and events happening in your museums and art galleries.

Reach us to learn more

LetsNurture is a leading IT service provider with vintage experience of website development and mobile app development. We provide extensive IoT solutions to varied industries. With an initiative to connect the museums and art galleries to their audiences, we have incepted ‘KonnectedArt’, an iBeacon solution.

Get a free quote from us or write to us info@letsnurture.com.

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The beginning of screenless design: UI jobs to be taken over by Solution Architect

UI-Design-LetsNurture

When your mobile responds to your voice command or just a single touch, the time taken for mobile app design and development reduces. Not in terms of features or functionality but in terms of development. The design aspect of the mobile application development will be less of a hassle with the screenless architecturing.

Typically, the solution architect renders the requirements created by functional analysts into the architecture for that solution and describing it through architecture and design artifacts. But with the idea of screenless designing, I have a strong belief that the solution architects will take over the job of UI designing. Here are few points that will support the statement that I just mentioned.

1. Voice command will do majority of the task

  • Siri : Book a ride for me
  • Amazon Echo:  Play Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix

With Alexa application development, the surge in the demand of Amazon Echo has been notable. Apple has freshly launched it’s HomePod. It is fitted with Siri and has been designed to rival the Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers. The revolution of technology is inevitable.

2. Chatbot development is enhancing the customer service industry

With chatbot development, you do not need separate screens for all processes Chatbot can bring information in same window as per desire of the user.

  • Chatbot for Domino’s : Entire booking process can be integrated in one window.
  • Chatbot for Hyatt: Once the user enters the booking date and requirements of the room to be booked, Chatbot handles the entire booking process by just few commands of the user.

3. Collaborative Layers

With multiple layers like google maps and other social media app interfaces, the custom functions have become ease of navigation. Functions like sharing picture has become easy with a feature that enables sharing without even having to be on that app. Few of the examples of such mobile apps are listed below:

  • Book a ride option from Google Maps reduces screen visits at UBER or Ola.
  • Custom Notifications where you can reply or do few action on notification itself reduces screen usage at the app.
  • Deep linking : deep linking will help user to directly navigate at the right screen which eventually reduces a screen usage.

4. Storage Economy

Everything we do involves a cost in it. More Screen needs means cost of development will be high, more screens means more API calls means more bandwidth means more expense on server infrastructure. More Screens means more storage required at user device means more expense at user end.

5. IoT & Rise of Bluetooth Devices

Gartner, Inc. forecasts that 8.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2017.

We have seen rise of bluetooth devices which eventually help devices to talk with each other without manual intervention. And this will lead to less screen design need. Yes you can call it AI & Machine Learning but more or less it is just a system design, system should be self sufficient to act without manual intervention, that is what technology needs to do right. Doing right things at right time without being supervised.

6. Pile of Screen Resolutions

It makes a lot of sense to reduce screen usage because world has gone exponentially in-terms of screen resolution , there has been new adaption on auto layout for mobile apps , responsive web design for web user interface also to deal with multiple resolution.

More Mobile Less Time

As we have witnessed that the world has become mobile, very mobile rather, this changing on marketing strategy has become unavoidable. Earlier it was like how system can be designed in a way that customer spends most of the time in the mobile app. Now architecture is being thought differently and prime focus is on getting the right information at right time without any hassle. This strategy ensures you happy customers. You send motivational quotes to your friends every day to stay engaged with them versus you help your friend when they need. Which one will be more effective?

I believe, if you are into UI/UX Design field start thinking to build your system screen less or with less screens. And if you are solution architect you should master this architecture.

Tweet us your thoughts on Twitter @letsnurture or drop a post on the official FaceBook page of LetsNurture. Share your thoughts with us, we will be happy to have a discussion on the same.

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Google goes Cloud – Enterprise Cloud Strategy

During Cloud Next event in San Francisco, the team of Google segmented the roadmap for its cloud business. Having more than 10,000 attendees, the event also resembled the world that it is ready to take on the enterprises.

Having a hard work since 18 months to get a position to the cloud market, it has been a strong player. The top executives didn’t miss the opportunity to pitch its cloud platform to enterprises. Though Amazon and Microsoft are major player of this game, Google is using some of its deep strengths to provide the differentiate platform to the customers.

Let’s go through some takeaways from Google Cloud Next 2017.

Securing the cloud

The first priority for Google is to maintain security for its cloud platform. It is all about innovating in the fields of key management, compliance, multi-factor authentication and data loss prevention.

Secure access to enterprise application without using VPN is done with the help of Identity-Aware Proxy. It limits the access of user identity and groups that comes up with integrated phishing resistant Security key.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) API scans data for many tactful data types and automatically edits them. Customers can find and edit the sensitive data that is store in GCP with few API calls.

Customer wins by securing enterprise

The case studies of Google’s cloud base were based on Spotify, Snapchat etc. Though it was a large implementation, they are not considered as traditional enterprise companies. Now, Google claims impressive customer list that includes Verizon, Disney, HSBC, eBay etc. Adding these brands in the keynote, Google made a statement that its cloud platform is enterprise-ready.

GCP into a data-centric cloud platform

The secret sauce of Google is data and analytics. Being, one of the Big Data and Machine Learning, the company is turning it into a differentiating factor. GCP has list of Machine learning services in the form of Cloud ML engine, Cloud Vision API, Cloud Jobs API and Advanced Solution Lab (ASL). Developers can explore video content by providing information about the entities within the video content with the help of Cloud Video Intelligence API.

Cloud Dataprep is a new service that aims to make the extract, transform, and load (ETL) jobs easier on GCP, build in the collaboration with Trifacta. The GCP customers can now analyze commercial datasets that are coming from Xignite, Remine, AccuWeather and HouseCanary with BigQuery. 

Boosting Developers Productivity

Google announced the fleet of services, new features and tools to bring the developer productivity. App Engine now supports a flexible deployment model based on containers. Developers can choose from multiple languages, runtimes, and frameworks to run their mobile application in the cloud.

Enabling deployment workloads in GCp, Google has launched a service called Cloud Container Builder where developers can develop complex CI/CD pipelines to manage the workflow of containerized applications running on Google Cloud Platform.

Commitment to Open-source and Multi-platform

Kubernetes and Tensor Flow are making significant strides in the open source. Google donated Kubernetes, container orchestration platform to Cloud Native Computing Foundation and Tensor Flow, an open source Machine Learning platform powers the managed Cloud ML engine. Google collaborating with Pivotal Labs made Kubernetes deployment accessible across multiple cloud platforms.

Talking about multi-cloud deployments, CloudEndure, a GCP partner, enables one-click migration of VMs from other platforms to Google Cloud. Google’s Stackdriver is a multi-cloud monitoring platform that works across GCP and AWS.

Collaborating with the Proven leaders

At Google Cloud Next, the company made few announcements about involvement of some independent software vendors and global system integrators. Google was often criticized for the lack of ecosystem for its cloud business.

HANA to GCP is integrated that includes the certification of  SAP HANA on GCP, new G Suite integrations, and collaboration on building machine learning features into intelligent applications, bringing Google and SAP partnership into the picture.

Rackspace, the leader in managed services partnered with the Google cloud to become one of the first managed services support partner.

Since many enterprises are using Microsoft Windows, Google is presently working with principal SIs from the Microsoft ecosystem to integrate workloads to GCP.

Concluding Note

Concluding all, Google is trying to transform itself into an enterprise-friendly company by figuring out a niche being the most open and developer friendly. With Google Next, the company tried to consolidate its place in the market. It implicits the strong message that Google Cloud is yet to stay. Though AWS and Azure are top players in the game, but Google is moving at the rapid pace, inching closer to become  a viable alternative to Amazon and Microsoft’s public cloud.

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My New Venture KarConnect

karconnect

When I was researching about the amount of blood donated in my city, I was shocked to know that most of the blood donation was required to the fatal accidents. When I dug deep into the news, I came across the government data detailing about the road accidents occurring everyday. It was stated that on an average 400 people are killed in road accidents daily, and this costs $5118 billion globally, costing individual countries from 4-6% of their annual GDP. These road accidents are caused only because improper driving and low-maintenance of vehicle.

Later when I was travelling outstation on my car Ford fiesta, I suddenly experienced a breakdown. There was no mechanic or help I could get from near by. Regretfully, I had to do it by my own.

These situations had given me a deep thoughts to take an initiative and pushed me to do bring some groundbreaking solution and head towards some innovation.

This is how I came up with “KarConnect”, which is a product under my new venture DriveSmart Telematics Pvt. Ltd.

Let me Introduce KarConnect

KarConnect is the key to unlock the world of connected car platform. It is a smart technological combo of two components – 16 Pin OBDII Chip (Hardware) and mobile application (Software). KarConnect Device is plugged in your car’s OBDII port, fetches data from the ECU (Electronic Control Unit), does data crunching and send it to the server for further analysis. The application will receive insights from the KarConnect device detailing you with seamless reports and predictive alerts.

What Type of issues are tackled?

The in-built GPS and GPRS module in the KarConnect chip helps in continuous real time tracking the location of your vehicles. The application also gives you details about fault codes (self-diagnosis) which can avoid a potential breakdown of the car and accidental damages. The application gets you the list of all Service Centers based on the location or nearby. KarConnect also caters real time tracking of the vehicle and driving behaviour showing all the parameters remotely. So, the product is equally useful for both, businesses and the individual users.

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IN 2016 people will not spend much time with in the App

Yes, you are right , Spending time with in app will reduce significantly in 2016. How? And Why? More and more apps are being published every year . But users have 24hrs in a day. Businesses know that user does not want everything which is residing in the app at particular point of time.

How User Experience is going to change this year?

Imaging your phone is locked, you received a message notification!! how about the functionality to read , reply , delete message from the  notification center? Yes, Many of them have noticed you can do a lot more now with notification center itself. This is going to make communication faster, Will also reduce time spent with in mobile app. To prove my points here are some of my real time examples.

This is will reduce time app user spent with in app but on the other side app user will have a lot better user experience. Specially when all businesses wants you to spend time more and more with their mobile apps.

Biggest User experience change in 2016 would be “User interactions will not require new screens or redirection”

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Social Media- Which Way It is Heading?

One of the craziest myths to be shattered in the last decade is that Old generation is not tech savvy and would crib on the younger generation being glued to the social media. We can find even the older generation trying to create their identity in the virtual world.
The affirmative side of the story- social media connects all.
The Other side- Does it really connect? The biggest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, it is illusion of the knowledge.

Perhaps beyond the conventional issues faced by the society as terrorism, pollution, political disturbances, a giant menace that has masked well and is difficult to uncover is the one created by abundant usage of social media.

One day when every gadget would be connected by thin invisible wires the so called social animal would be disconnected with the real visible world.

Ask people around you and they will boast of their followers, friend lists and the huge online popularity and to make things worse, they love it that way. Being engaged today includes being busy online and that is hugely becoming acceptable.

With millions of people spending on an average of 2 hours a day on a given social networking site, it is bound to create a commendable effect on the way people think, see and form opinions. It has become the most sorted medium of communication for the people who love to interact beyond the distance and time frame, yes, it is such an influencer that it never tires anyone until and unless one withdraws oneself from it. The electronic connections have become much more significant than the real life connection and people have started judging you by your followers and following.

This also amounts to revealing underlying issues of teenage obesity, short-lived relationships, emotional trauma, and a race to a sense of image superiority fueling jealousy and breeding unhealthy competition.

Let’s not complicate it by going deep into the virtues and woes of the social networking though many would agree that the social networking is not working the way it should have. The essence is somewhere lost in the quantitative evaluation than the qualitative accountability.

The trending topics take the shape of the typhoon and in no time reach every nook and corner but who cares to check if they were worth enough to take that gigantic shape OR check the starting point OR if they have maintained the dignity of the cause? Do we?

One and all are responsible for the fading charm that was once considered to be a ‘fix’ meeting place for the people who have nowhere to go but social media to voice their opinion. Today all we care is the trending topics and jump into the train without even knowing the truth. The social media is  gormandizing us and somewhere we are happy about it.

The social media is like a buffet lunch set on an embellished table and you simply pick what you like.

Nevertheless, it was not as eroded as earlier. A solid platform that has given a chance to millions to say which no other medium would take the interest in. To interact with people, they never thought exist. To know the truth of the other side of the coin. To repair the damage done earlier and sometimes even before. And, to bring a revolution even without stepping on the road with candles.

The Bane with the Social Media– the true fragrance that is somewhere lost in the current time where rumors travel faster than the reality, paid influencers trick people in believing them, and how a simple sentence is twisted and turned into sensational news.  It just takes a click and the words fly far and wide.

Politics and rigidity have dented open-minded discussions, logical interactions have taken back seat and communication gap has widened. Well, the fault is that the social media users do not verify facts before accepting it. The sole aim of the social media was to offer a platform to share ideas, interact in good faith and connect the world, but the disdainfulness has crept in and few are making it a platform to fulfill their personal agenda.

If you thought I am in the favor of curtailing the freedom of the social media, and a campaigner to bring some tough laws to keep a control on it then you got it all wrong!

 More the laws, more the menace.

I agree that social media has slipped off & need to be disciplined but again, it is everyone’s responsibility to use it delicately and dedicate especially the newbie who start without understanding the basics of the social media.

Less of interaction and more of confrontation is the new flavor of the social media. Earlier, it was engagement and now its an argument.

Swamped by the people with different interests in mind, it is a clever idea to play it safe and not get carried away with the flow.

Howbeit, it has a long way to go and just like the river’s meandering course, social media too is meandering and will cut straight provided people are educated and know what they are up to.

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Amazing Javascript Library Three.Js

I was discussing with my nephew about ability of Javascript & CSS ability. He pointed out me Three.Js. There are many examples on Theree.JS website. I like one pretty cool one by which you can literally develop arcade game in html5. Three.JS Blending , it is webgl & javascript.

In Last 10 years if something has evolved from its origin then it is Javascript & Fronend development.

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Arvind Gupta- Turning Trash To Toy Treasure!

“I’ve been invited by most of the schools. And every time I go to a school, I see a gleam in the eyes of the children. I see hope. I see happiness in their faces. Children want to make things. Children want to do things.”~ Arvind Gupta.

What do you expect from an extraordinarily intelligent and brilliant IIT graduate in the 1970s when the tag was enough to get a dream-like job wherever they want, in the country or abroad? Certainly you expect them to join a big reputed company and spend a life in the dream-like world. Well, this may sound like an end to a story but this was just the beginning of a phenomenal journey of a genius called Arvind Gupta. Continue reading “Arvind Gupta- Turning Trash To Toy Treasure!”