Chris Noessel has written an article entitled One Free Interaction which neatly chronicles a new pattern for designers. As users become bored, the mental noise in their head can sometimes translate into a interactive noise. As Chris describes it:
“One free interaction” is a prospective design pattern that gives software and hardware a more humane feel. It exists outside of task flows and the concept of users as task-doers. Instead it sits in the “in between” spaces, suiting users as fidgeters, communicators, and people who play with things.
I am so glad someone has taken the time to document my nervous ticks and give them a name. It makes me feel slightly normal. I regularly do both the page snapback and de-re-selecting interactions. It’s fun.
One small challenge I have is from a purely linguistic standpoint. I believe the term “neutral interaction” to better fit the idea of a completely consequence-free interaction. Apart from a developer’s standpoint I can see the idea of a “free interaction” being more provocative, however it struck me at first of being “free” to implement, which is not the case.
These interactions, “free” or “neutral,” are so satisfying, I want to start building them into all my future projects. They absolutely create a bond between user and software, as Chris notes. The more an action is repeated, the more the software becomes an extension of the user. While I can’t recall any program I’ve made that has reached that level of connection to the user, it is a good goal.