Interactive web design
Interactive web design is an approach in which the page responds to what the visitor does.
Also known as: interaction design · motion-led web design
A hover changes something, a scroll advances something, a click opens something rather than jumping. The aim is not decoration: a page that responds tells the visitor where they are and what they can do without a sentence of explanation.
Its smallest unit is the micro-interaction; its largest is a full immersive site. Between the two sit page transitions, parallax and kinetic typography.
When to use it
When it makes sense
When you want the site to feel like a place rather than a document, and when the brand’s character is part of what you are selling.
When it is unnecessary
When the visitor is in a hurry or under stress. On a support page or a payment step, movement is friction.
Common questions
Does animation slow the site down?
Not if it is built on properties the browser can composite — transform and opacity. Animating layout properties forces the page to be recalculated on every frame, and that is where the stutter comes from.
What about visitors who do not want motion?
The operating system has a "reduce motion" setting and the site must respect it. When it is on, animations are shortened or removed; the content stays the same.
How does this term apply to your work? Let us talk.
Get in touch