Interaction Design Patterns: A Detailed Explanation of Common Mobile Design Paradigms

Design patterns are the crystallization of past experience. Understanding these patterns is not about blindly copying them, but about making better design decisions in appropriate scenarios.

Why Design Patterns Are Needed

Design Patterns are mature solutions for common interaction problems. Using design patterns offers three benefits:

1. Reduce learning curve: Users are already familiar with these interaction methods
2. Improve design efficiency: No need to start from scratch every time
3. Ensure usability: Solutions validated by a large number of users

Navigation Patterns

Tab Bar Navigation (Tab Bar)

The most common bottom navigation pattern, suitable for 3-5 core feature entry points.

Applicable Scenarios:
- Feature modules are relatively independent
- Users need to frequently switch between different functions
- No more than 5 core functions

Design Essentials:
- The currently selected item needs clear visual distinction
- Icons should be accompanied by text labels; avoid pure icons
- Maintain independent states between pages

Typical Applications: WeChat, Instagram, Taobao

Hamburger Menu (Hamburger Menu)

A side-sliding drawer-style navigation.

Applicable Scenarios:
- Many navigation items that cannot all be displayed
- Some functions are used less frequently
- Need to keep the page clean and simple

Considerations:
- Poor discoverability; core functions should not be hidden here
- Consider combining with a tab bar
- Open/close animations should be smooth

Gesture Navigation

Operations performed through gestures such as swiping and pinching.

Common Gestures:
| Gesture | Common Use | Example |
|------|---------|------|
| Swipe Left/Right | Switch pages/cards | Photo browsing |
| Pull Down | Refresh content | Pull-to-refresh |
| Long Press | More actions | Multi-select messages |
| Double Tap | Quick action | Like/Zoom |
| Pinch | Zoom | Map/Image |

Content Display Patterns

Lists and Cards

Lists are suitable for scenarios with high information density, emphasizing browsing efficiency:
- Email lists
- Settings options
- Search results

Cards are suitable for scenarios with rich information types and a need for visual appeal:
- Social media feeds
- E-commerce product display
- News content streams

Waterfall Layout

Arrangement of cards with irregular heights, suitable for image-centric content.

Design Essentials:
- Ensure the content height difference between two columns is not too large
- Image loading requires a skeleton screen placeholder
- Consider the trigger timing for content loading (how far from the bottom to start loading)

Typical Applications: Pinterest, Xiaohongshu

Carousel and Horizontal Scrolling

Carousel (Carousel):
- Suitable for displaying a limited selection of content (3-5 items)
- Requires indicators to show the current position
- Autoplay should have a pause mechanism

Horizontal Scrolling:
- Suitable for quick previews of similar content
- Partially reveal the next item as a scrolling hint
- Supports inertial scrolling and snap effects

Input and Form Patterns

Progressive Forms

Breaking down long forms into multiple steps to reduce user psychological burden.

步骤 1: 基本信息    ────────→   步骤 2: 详细设置   ────────→   步骤 3: 确认提交
[姓名、邮箱]                    [偏好、地址]                    [预览所有信息]

Design Essentials:
- Display clear step progress
- Allow returning to modify previous steps
- Each step should be limited to 3-5 fields

Instant Validation

Real-time validation as the user types, rather than showing errors only after submission.

Best Practices:
- Trigger validation when the user leaves the input field (not during typing)
- Both success and error states should provide feedback
- Error messages should be specific, telling the user how to correct them

Smart Defaults

Making reasonable initial selections for users:

• Pre-fill city based on geolocation
• Recommend options based on historical behavior
• Set the most commonly used default values based on statistical data

Feedback and Status Patterns

Toast Notifications

Briefly displayed notification messages that disappear automatically.

Applicable Scenarios: Operation success confirmation, non-critical information notifications
Design Guidelines: Display for 2-3 seconds, does not interrupt user operations

Dialog (Dialog)

Modal pop-ups that require explicit user response.

Usage Principles:
- Use only when absolutely necessary to interrupt the user
- Button text should clearly express the action's meaning (avoid "OK/Cancel")
- Use red buttons to warn for destructive operations

Skeleton Screen (Skeleton Screen)

Simulates page structure with gray placeholder blocks, better than loading animations:

• Allows users to perceive that content is about to appear
• Reduces psychological waiting time
• Page structure is clear at a glance

Principles for Choosing Design Patterns

When choosing design patterns, consider the following factors:

1. User Familiarity: Whether the target users are already accustomed to a certain pattern
2. Content Characteristics: Different content types are suitable for different display methods
3. Usage Frequency: High-frequency operations require faster interaction methods
4. Device Characteristics: Screen size, interaction method (touch/mouse)
5. Platform Guidelines: iOS and Android each have their own design guidelines

In Conclusion

Design patterns are tools, not ends. The key is to understand why each pattern is effective and what scenarios it is suitable for. The best interaction design is not about using novel patterns, but about making users not have to think at all about "how to operate".