4. Trappy

“Native and intuitive interactions rather than modified interactions and complex flows”

Smartwatch App Design Antipattern

4. Trappy

Native and intuitive interactions rather than modified interactions and complex flows

Creative interactions might lead to uncertain endings when it comes to app design. This is how something intended to be "all fun and games" might turn into despair for the user, who finds himself unable to end or change the app course once he is done with the amusement it provides. Which is why logical, native, and intuitive interactions are privileged over mazy ones.

Key Considerations

Feel Trapped
Maze like
Confusing
Complex

Apparently Positive

Change interactions to avoid users from making mistakes with the apps different interface interactions. Which may lead to closing the app, getting the general setting menu to appear or even to shut down the screen.

Change the navigation or flow to present all the information and actions needed.

Negative Side

The user might not easily understand how he got into this new interface and how to use it with the "new" interactions, thus feeling trapped with no where to run.

The user might not be able to find what he needs with ease because of the saturation of information, actions or complex set of interactions.

Examples

Tip calculator app

When the app starts, the users are presented with a screen some number in the center, a button below and a type of slider on the circumference of the screen. The users tried to dismiss the app for a moment to attend a notification, but is not allowed to in the regular fashion, instead, the circular slider jumps around, thus inhibiting the user to leave the app. The users have then to play along and find the "new" way to leave the app to do what they are now in urgence to do, check the notification that arrived. The users may feel trapped, confused or that it is too complex for them.

Location based recommendations app

The users are presented with a list of options the appear nearby. Unpredictably, the users are taken to a map interfase which shows a notification for a split second explaining "how to leave the 'Map Mode'". If the users dismiss the app, forget what the notification said, or simply did not pay attention/noticed the notification, they won't be able to leave the 'Map Mode' and will start an unncessary exploration mode or simply leave the flow.