Waiting experience design techniques for App loading pages

小program development tutorialThe column introduces the waiting experience design skills of the App loading page

Free recommendation: 小Program development tutorial

Designers cannot reduce the user’s waiting time, but they can make the waiting time interesting~

In the experience In the economic era, users' impression of the waiting process directly affects users' perception and judgment of product and service quality, which in turn affects user satisfaction and loyalty. This article mainly discusses the two main lines of users' actual waiting time and perceived waiting time, and analyzes the user experience design principles and methods to improve the mobile App loading page, so that users can feel "elegant and not annoying waiting".

Mobile App loading page refers to a process page for loading application data, which is mainly divided into three categories: startup loading page, content loading page, and download application loading page.

　 "Don't make me wait" is summarized by Internet companies as the first of the three elements of user experience for Internet products. It can be said that an excellent App loading page can not only shorten the actual waiting time and make up for the shortcomings of basic factors such as technology and network, but also bear the important task of pursuing the ultimate experience of the product.

The user’s waiting experience on the App loading page is actually affected by two main factors-actual waiting time and perceived waiting time. The actual waiting time is the objective loading time, which is limited by basic factors such as technology and network; the perceived waiting time is the psychological impression of the user's subjective perception. Both will have an impact on users' decision-making behavior. Reducing the actual waiting time is the basis for reducing user displeasure. At the same time, applying psychological cognition and designing new models and methods to shorten the user's perceived time is the key.

　Reducing actual waiting time is the basis

Analyzing from the perspective of actual waiting time, the mobile App system is composed of several interconnected, multi-functional functions with mutual logical relationships. Overall. Users, servers, and the data environment in which they occur constitute an organic system with unique service methods and queuing sequence rules. When the user issues instructions to the system, if the system does not have the most effective path to give feedback to the user, there will be an actual wait, and the wait may be long. This is the actual wait for user requests that cannot be satisfied due to insufficient data processing capabilities and capacity of the server.

First, clearly define the user’s tolerance for actual waiting time. Because different products meet different user needs, there are differences in user tolerance. Therefore, careful testing and rigorous analysis are needed to determine the actual waiting time and the user's tolerance threshold. Then make targeted design adjustments and optimizations.

　 1. Optimize the interaction framework

While ensuring that user goals are met, the interaction logic is optimized and the framework structure is simplified, thereby reducing the amount of server data processing and making up for technical deficiencies. .

The interaction framework not only defines the high-level screen layout, but also defines the workflow, behavior and organization of the product.

　(1) Clarify the priority of functional goals to meet user needs. In this process, it is necessary to return to the scenario script in the interaction design process, that is, the persona goals and mental model, to find the most effective solution and determine priorities based on product functions. Avoid duplication of functional modules, unreasonable task processes, or overly complex processes.

　(2) Check the interaction framework. Conduct task reviews based on key route scenario scripts and commonly used storyboards to ensure that each task line is feasible and the most effective way.

2. According to different demand scenarios, clarify the corresponding data loading mode

Currently, in App design, there are mainly 6 reasonable data loading modes.

　(1) Full screen loading, the advantage is that it can ensure the integrity of the content. The shortcomings are obvious, there is a very strong sense of waiting, and more than 3 seconds will cause anxiety.

　(2) Prioritize loading. A page has pictures and text. When loading pictures is slow, you can load all the text first to ensure that users can read smoothly, and then load pictures that require more traffic. .

　(3) Full page loading. When the current page and the next page are full page switching, you can consider using full page loading. The advantage is that it can ensure the integrity of each page and the experience is relatively holistic. The disadvantage is that the loading efficiency of the entire page cannot be guaranteed.

　(4) Automatic loading. This method can create an illusion of unlimited browsing, which can easily attract users. The advantage is that it puts users into endless browsing mode. The disadvantage is that it is endless, easy to get lost, and it is inconvenient to quickly index and locate certain content.

　(5) Intelligent loading has the advantage of controlling traffic and loading speed according to specific scenarios. The disadvantage is that it may not truly and effectively meet user needs.

　(6) Offline loading. When the App is offline, consider the design of preloading offline cache. The advantage is that it solves the problem of obtaining data without a network, saves traffic, and ensures smoothness. The disadvantage is that it takes up local storage space.

　 Shortening the user’s perceived time is the key

The feeling of waiting time is the user’s subjective feeling of the waiting time during the waiting process, which affects people’s decision-making behavior. Design the loading page based on the user's psychological characteristics from the loading conceptual model, non-modal loading, interest, user expectations, etc., so that the user can wait easily and gracefully.

Provide a concept loading model. A good conceptual model can help users avoid confusion and help users understand what is happening. Notifying the loading progress gives users a clearer right to know, and users are willing to accept the wait and can better anticipate the time it will take for the loading to be completed. Without information, users will guess at a conceptual model, and the process can be uncomfortable and agitating.

Interesting loading. Psychological duration is largely affected by mental activity. Filling the wait with fun things to watch or fun things to do to distract people or keep people busy can help. Use creative copywriting, colors, motion effects, sounds and other interesting elements to satisfy users’ upper-level needs for pleasure.

Non-modal loading method. With the non-modal loading method, users can do other things to pass the waiting time instead of waiting for the data to be loaded, which greatly reduces the anxiety of waiting. The anxious waiting time is eliminated by users’ continuous browsing.

Meet or exceed expectations. When we need to set a waiting time, it is best to set it appropriately to exceed the actual waiting time. The completion of early loading will give users an unexpected surprise.

Hide and wait. That is, as soon as the user executes the command, he will receive visual feedback from the server, and the system processing is not executed but is just hidden. For example, share a picture with WeChat and Path, click to send, and the picture will appear on the timeline immediately. Buttons that involve status switching, such as "Like" and "Collect", will generally give the user a visual feedback that the operation is successful, without waiting for the server to return the actual result of "operation successful". The advantage of this is that in most cases users do not need to wait anxiously for the content to be uploaded.

　

Conclusion:

As a part of the entire user experience, the App loading page directly affects the user's loyalty and satisfaction with product services. Aiming at the two main lines of analysis of users’ actual waiting time and perceived waiting time, in the design of loading pages, the interactive logical framework, loading mode and meeting the upper-level needs of users are important directions of thinking.

Related learning recommendations:

Website construction tutorial

The above is the detailed content of Waiting experience design techniques for App loading pages. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!