interaction-design

Interaction Design

Purpose

Design component interaction specs with all visual states, transitions, and accessibility requirements.

Scope Constraints

Reads component requirements, design system documentation, and platform guidelines for interaction analysis. Does not modify files or execute code. Does not access running applications or browser environments directly.

Inputs

• Component name and purpose
• Context where it appears (page, modal, sidebar, etc.)
• User actions it must support
• Existing design system or component library (if any)
• Platform constraints (web, mobile, both)

Input Sanitization

No user-provided values are used in commands or file paths. All inputs are treated as read-only analysis targets.

Procedure

Progress Checklist

• Step 1: Define component purpose
• Step 2: Enumerate all visual states
• Step 3: Define transitions between states
• Step 4: Specify accessibility requirements
• Step 5: Define responsive behavior
• Step 6: Specify content constraints

Step 1: Define Component Purpose

• What job does this component do?
• What user need does it serve?
• Where does it appear in the UI hierarchy?
• What is the minimal viable version?

Step 2: Enumerate All Visual States

State	Visual Treatment	When Active
Default/Rest	Base styling	No interaction
Hover	Subtle highlight, cursor change	Mouse over (desktop)
Focus	Visible focus ring	Keyboard navigation, tab
Active/Pressed	Depressed/accent state	Mouse down, touch
Loading/Pending	Spinner, skeleton, disabled input	Async operation in progress
Success/Confirmed	Green accent, checkmark, brief flash	Operation completed
Error/Invalid	Red accent, error message, icon	Validation failed, API error
Disabled	Muted colors, no pointer events	Precondition not met
Empty/Placeholder	Placeholder text, illustration	No data or content yet

Step 3: Define Transitions Between States

For each state change:

• Trigger: What causes the transition (click, hover, data load, timer, keyboard)
• Animation: Duration and easing (subtle and purposeful, not gratuitous)
  • Micro-interactions: 100-200ms
  • State changes: 200-300ms
  • Layout shifts: 300-500ms
• Feedback mechanism: Color change, icon swap, text update, motion

Step 4: Specify Accessibility Requirements

• ARIA roles and labels:
  • role attribute (button, dialog, alert, etc.)
  • aria-label or aria-labelledby for non-text elements
  • aria-describedby for supplementary descriptions
  • aria-live regions for dynamic updates
• Keyboard navigation:
  • Tab order (logical, matches visual order)
  • Enter/Space behavior (activate buttons, submit forms)
  • Escape behavior (close modals, cancel operations)
  • Arrow key behavior (navigate lists, tabs, menus)
• Screen reader announcements:
  • State changes announced (loading, success, error)
  • Dynamic content updates via aria-live
• Visual accessibility:
  • Color contrast: WCAG AA minimum (4.5:1 text, 3:1 UI elements)
  • Focus indicators visible and high contrast
  • Information not conveyed by color alone

Step 5: Define Responsive Behavior

• Desktop (1024px+):
  • Full layout, hover interactions available
  • Keyboard shortcuts active
• Tablet (768px - 1023px):
  • Adjusted spacing, simplified hover states
  • Touch-friendly but more screen real estate than mobile
• Mobile (< 768px):
  • Touch targets minimum 44x44px
  • Swipe gestures where appropriate
  • Bottom-sheet instead of dropdown where needed
  • Simplified layout, stacked elements

Step 6: Specify Content Constraints

• Character limits for labels, descriptions, error messages
• Truncation strategy (ellipsis, fade, wrap)
• Internationalization considerations (text expansion 30-50% for translations)
• Number formatting, date formatting

Compaction resilience: If context was lost during a long session, re-read the Inputs section to reconstruct what component is being designed, check the Progress Checklist for completed steps, then resume from the earliest incomplete step.

Output Format

State Matrix

State	Background	Border	Text	Icon	Cursor	Shadow
Default	...	...	...	...	...	...
Hover	...	...	...	...	...	...
Focus	...	...	...	...	...	...
Active	...	...	...	...	...	...
Loading	...	...	...	...	...	...
Success	...	...	...	...	...	...
Error	...	...	...	...	...	...
Disabled	...	...	...	...	...	...

Transition Diagram

[Default] ←→ [Hover] → [Active] → [Loading] → [Success]
    ↓                                    ↓
 [Focus]                             [Error]
    ↓
 [Active]

Accessibility Checklist

• ARIA role assigned
• ARIA label provided
• Keyboard operable (tab, enter, escape)
• Focus indicator visible
• Screen reader announces state changes
• Color contrast meets WCAG AA
• Touch targets >= 44x44px

Component API

Props:
- variant: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'ghost'
- size: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg'
- disabled: boolean
- loading: boolean
- ...

Events:
- onClick / onPress
- onFocus / onBlur
- ...

Slots:
- icon (leading/trailing)
- children (content)
- ...

Handoff

• Hand off to journey-mapping if user flow analysis is needed for the broader context where the component appears.
• Hand off to craftsman/pattern-analysis if code implementation patterns are needed for the designed component.

Quality Checks

• All 8+ visual states defined (default, hover, focus, active, loading, success, error, disabled)
• Keyboard navigation specified for all interactive elements
• ARIA labels provided for all non-text elements
• Touch targets meet 44px minimum
• Loading and error states designed with recovery paths
• Empty/placeholder state designed
• Transitions are subtle and purposeful (not gratuitous)
• Responsive behavior specified for mobile, tablet, desktop

Evolution Notes