Can micro interactions in user interfaces affect their perceived usability?

Abstract

User interface elements such as buttons and controls should appear tangible and engender affordance even though these elements are behind a ‘layer of glass’. Visual and motion cues can bridge this gap by acknowledging the user's input immediately and using animation in ways that look and feel like direct manipulation akin to real world physics. Hence, user interface buttons can mimic real world interaction with common physical objects. Simply put, you can add clarity to user interactions through visual responses to the user's input using ‘micro interactions. To date, user interface animations have been used by smart phone operating systems to provide user feedback and to show fluidity between user interface transitions as opposed to instant flickering between screens which is somewhat unnatural. This paper aims to determine the effect that micro interactions has on the perceived usability of smart phone apps.