How Social Media Applications’ UX & UI Are Crafted To Captivate… And Be Habit-Forming
Designers hold significant responsibility. Frequently ignored, design is present in all aspects.
Recall the most recent chair you occupied. Did you think, ‘this will give way beneath me when I sit down?’ before you took your seat? No, as chairs are designed to be robust, to bear our weight, and to provide us with comfort.
Where are you headed with this? The piece discusses social media applications… Indeed, we frequently overlook the processes behind a design as long as it functions. And regarding social media applications, maybe a bit too effectively.
The economy of attention
The attention economy is a relatively recent idea. Essentially, it outlines the demand and supply of an individual’s attention. Maintaining users’ focus is the foundation of most social media platforms… To rephrase the well-known saying: If you aren’t paying for the service, you are the product. Focus = gaze on advertisements. You understand the routine.
Returning to design, social media applications must craft experiences that keep our focus deeply rooted in their offerings. Designers have a significant impact on reaching that objective.
UX Versus UI – What’s not visible is as crucial as what is visible.
To grasp the intricacies of social media design, one must peer behind the scenes. Indeed, much of what makes social media captivating lies in their design and how the interfaces motivate us to engage while occupying our screen space.
Nevertheless, many of the elements that render social media highly engaging stem from a profound comprehension of human behavior. The design of user experience (UX design) is executed so effectively, from how we engage with other users,
TikTok is built around recommendations as its central feature. Quick and engaging videos transition smoothly into one another through a continuous scrolling user interface. The endless scrolling feature is effective, with data indicating that a user in the UK may spend as much as 60 minutes daily on the app.
With design patterns akin to YouTube (which we will discuss later), TikTok has faced a considerable amount of criticism. Endless scrolling of videos encourages addictive behavior. TikTok shows a video in full screen, playing for up to 3 minutes – recently expanded from the previous 15/30/60 seconds options. The algorithm continuously delivers video after video— effortlessly browsed with a simple swipe.
TikTok not only simplifies the consumption of video content but also employs a highly effective and captivating visual UI design that enables creators to generate content more rapidly. Leading you through every stage with the application of color and strategically positioned primary calls-to-action.
TikTok serves as champions of the community.
The algorithm and hashtag system aim to leverage the straightforward content creation capabilities. Trends or popular activities require involvement, with each one increasing in popularity as users add their unique touch as the trend expands.
In contrast to Twitter, which uses hashtags for discussion, news, and current events, TikTok has created hashtags that significantly promote content and trends on a larger scale. Hashtags and trends build momentum, gathering thousands of videos around a specific sound, for instance – with certain trends effortlessly transcending typical obstacles such as language.
In reality, TikTok entirely eliminates standard obstacles to participation. On Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you begin by not following anyone. To fully experience the platform, you must connect with others. TikTok is designed to engage you from the very first video, continually tailoring itself to YOUR preferences. After a user’s actions are understood,
