We live in an increasingly digital landscape. With shortening attention spans and an abundance of ad noise, it has become imperative to get your message across in a clear and concise way. A design incorporating interactivity can engage the user in a way static content cannot.
Motion and Animation
For example, simply by adding slight motion to a page as it’s loading, it draws the user in. Instead of seeing the content all at once, the user can be guided by the designer to view the information in a specific order. The animation on a page can also enhance the meaning of the content. If a person is reading a statistic, this number can animate by counting up. If a piece of information is meant to stand out, a design can choose to grow it on a page. Above all, animation can help support the meaning of an infographic. Furthermore, videos can be added to documents to enhance both their movement as well as their meaning.
Navigation
One key advantage to using interactivity in a document is that a designer can guide the user through the document with navigation. In this way, the user can skim the content efficiently and consume the information with the appropriate hierarchy. This can be accomplished with an interactive agenda, a toolbar at the top of each page, or a simple arrow directing the user to the following page. All serve to lead the user through a document
Interactivity
Lastly, a huge benefit to a digital document is the way a designer can consolidate information. Instead of disseminating content in paragraph form, the designer can break up the subject matter into digestible chunks. These chunks will appear one at a time. These MSOs (or multi-state objects) allow a user to toggle through a list with arrows. This not only engages the user more, but it also enables them to digest the information more efficiently.
All of these elements can be achieved in InDesign using Publish Online. To check out my latest projects incorporating interactivity, click here!