How to make every tap feel natural, intuitive, and satisfying?
Every time an app user taps your app, there’s psychology at work, conscious and subconscious. The size of the button, its label, where it sits, even its colour, all these affect how the app user feels, how quickly they act, and whether they stay or abandon. Build apps people enjoy by understanding what happens in an app user’s mind before, during, and after that tap.
Here are 6 tips, rooted in psychological principles, to help you design better tap interactions.
1. Make Tap Targets Big, Clear, and Reachable
Why it matters:
• According to Fitts’ Law, the time needed to move to and select a target depends on its size and distance. Larger, closer targets are faster and easier to hit.
• Small buttons or links frustrate users, especially on mobile, because fingers aren’t precise
How to do it:
• Minimum tappable area: follow platform or WCAG guidelines. For example, many designers aim for ~44×44 px or larger.
• Ensure spacing between targets is enough to avoid accidental taps
• Put primary actions within easy reach (thumb zone) in mobile UI layouts. For app users, buttons should be placed at the bottom of the screen or in the corners where the thumb naturally rests.
2. Use Clear Copy & Action-Based Labels
Why it matters:
• The microcopy (the label or text on the button/tappable element) sets expectations—if it’s unclear, people hesitate, tap wrong things, or abandon flow
• Clear labels reduce cognitive load; users don’t have to guess what will happen
How to do it:
• Use action verbs + relevant nouns: e.g. “Browse cafés” instead of just “Browse” or “Cafés”
• Be concise: trim words that don’t add clarity. Don’t bury key actions under long text.
• Maintain consistency: same action should always be labelled the same way (“Log in” vs “Sign in”) to avoid confusion
3. Visual Hierarchy: Guide the Eye
Why it matters:
• Users often scan, rather than read carefully. Without visual cues, they may miss the primary action.
• The brain responds to contrast, size, alignment, and spacing. These help prioritise what to tap first.
How to do it:
• Use contrast in colour or weight to highlight the most important tap targets
• Use whitespace to separate less important items; don’t make everything equally prominent, or nothing stands out
• Group related actions together; apply Gestalt principles (proximity, similarity) so app users perceive related buttons/links as such.
4. Limit Choices & Reduce Decision Fatigue
Why it matters:
• Hick’s Law: more choices → longer decision time → potential frustration.
• When overloaded with options or steps, people may delay, abandon, or err
How to do it:
• Show only key actions; hide or deemphasise secondary ones
• Use progressive disclosure: reveal more options only when needed
• Use sensible defaults. If most users choose the same thing, pre-select or highlight it.
• Limit menu items or actions on a screen to avoid overwhelming them
5. Feedback & Delight: The Emotional After-Tap
Why it matters:
• A tap isn’t just mechanical. Users expect feedback, something that confirms “yup, I tapped, and something is happening”. If not, the app feels sluggish, broken, or confusing.
• Small positive surprises (animations, sound, microinteractions) can create delight, build trust, and make the experience memorable
How to do it:
• Visual feedback: highlight the button on tap, change its colour or shadow, show a pressed/down state.
• Progress feedback: loading spinners, progress bars, etc., so users don’t feel stuck.
• Microinteractions: small animations, confirmation messages (“Done!”), subtle transitions.
• Make error messages helpful and kind. If something fails, explain why and how to fix it.
6. Leverage Familiar Patterns & Mental Models
Why it matters:
• Users come with expectations based on other apps/websites. When you follow established UI patterns, users understand without needing instruction. Unfamiliar patterns force them to learn, which means friction.
• Familiarity increases trust. If something looks “weird” or inconsistent, users may wonder whether the app is reliable.
How to do it:
• Use standard navigational patterns (e.g. bottom nav bars, hamburger menus, tabs) in ways users expect
• For gestures (swipes, taps), use those that are common and discoverable; avoid hidden gestures (unless you provide hints)
• Keep UI element behaviours predictable: same gestures, same placements, same animations across your app
