10 Little-Known UI Elements That Improve Interaction

A review of underrated UI components that can significantly improve the user experience with a product.

In the world of interface design, there is always room for innovation and non-standard solutions. Some UI elements, although not widely used, can significantly improve the user experience with a product. In this article, we'll look at 10 of these underrated UI elements.

1. Microinteractions for Feedback Forms

Micro-interactions not only add life to a site, but can also significantly improve the user experience, especially in feedback forms. For example, an animation that confirms successful data entry or warns of an error can make the process of filling out a form more intuitive.

2. Personalized Tooltips

Tooltips that offer contextual information on hover or tap are often used in interfaces. But personalizing these prompts based on user behavior can make them even more useful and increase engagement.

3. Progress Indicators for Long Forms

For forms that require a lot of data to be filled out, progress indicators can greatly improve the user experience by showing how much is left to do and motivating the user to complete the task.

4. Flexible Content Filters

Flexible filters allow users to customize the displayed content to their preferences, improving interaction and satisfaction with the product. These filters are especially useful in applications with a large amount of content.

5. Lazy Loading with Animation

Lazy loading is a technique in which content is loaded as you scroll on a page, improving performance. Adding animations to lazily loading elements can make the wait more enjoyable for the user.

6. Floating Action Buttons

Although floating action buttons are already used in mobile design, their potential on desktop sites is often underestimated. They can provide quick access to basic functions without having to scroll or navigate to another page.

7. Custom Scrollbars

Custom scrollbars can not only improve the appearance of a site, but also make scrolling more intuitive and user-friendly, especially on sites with a large amount of content.

8. Interactive Illustrations

Illustrations that respond to user actions can improve engagement and make the user experience more memorable. For example, hover or click animations add an element of interaction.

9. Swipe carousels in Web Design

Using swipe gestures to navigate image or content carousels makes the interface more user-friendly, especially on touch devices.

10. Collapsible Content Sections

Collapsible (hiding) content sections make large amounts of information more manageable by giving users the ability to choose which pieces of information to display.

Integrating these interface elements can significantly improve the user experience, making your website or application not only more functional, but also more interactive and user-centric. These little-known UI components can be powerful tools in the hands of a designer, helping to differentiate a product from competitors and improve user satisfaction.