Interaction Design: the five dimensions of a good interaction
Florent Dabernat
May 6, 2026
2 min read
In this article
A corporate messaging app that lacks fluidity in its key interactions, compose, send, open a thread, doesn't necessarily have a visual problem: it often has a poorly specified Interaction Design problem.
The five dimensions of IxD
Interaction Design is built around five complementary dimensions: words (microcopy), visual representations (icons, animations), feedback (visual, audio, haptic), space-time (durations and transitions) and behavior (rules and shortcuts). Every dimension contributes to the interface's understandability and predictability; a smooth interaction is never the product of just one of these elements in isolation.
Animation in service of understanding
Animations serve three specific purposes: anticipation, continuity (what's called object permanence, the impression that an element doesn't disappear but moves), and visual hierarchy. Reference durations range from 120 to 300 milliseconds depending on the type of action, with matching easing curves.
A principle too often ignored: reduced motion must be respected for users who enable it, and transitions must never hide content, even temporarily.
In a comparative test of two thread-opening transitions, the "zoom from the selected card" variant reduced back-navigation by 19% compared to the "lateral slide" variant, a significant gap for a simple animation choice.
How to specify an interaction
A well-specified interaction describes the intent, the triggers, the states, the rules, and the associated motion and feedback. Keyboard alternatives and visible-focus navigation are always planned for. Gesture conflicts, like scroll versus swipe, are resolved through angle and distance thresholds set in advance, not left to chance during development.
Measuring these interactions relies on completion time, error rate, hesitation (dwell time), back-navigation and perceived satisfaction. A/B comparisons and micro-gesture user tests help arbitrate objectively between variants, rather than deciding on personal aesthetic preference.
Frequently asked questions
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Why do animation durations sit between 120 and 300 ms?
- Below 120 ms, the movement becomes hard to consciously perceive. Beyond 300 ms, the interface starts to feel slow and drags the user's task down rather than supporting it.
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How do you resolve a conflict between scroll and swipe gestures?
- By defining precise angle and travel-distance thresholds that determine which gesture is recognized, and testing those thresholds with real users to avoid accidental triggers.
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Is haptic feedback really useful on mobile?
- Yes, for critical actions (confirmation, error) where a tactile response reinforces perception of the action without requiring extra visual attention, but it should stay rare so it doesn't become tiring.