As long as users turn on their smartphones, they will always see little red dots. Even if they set all applications to not push, they will still see a large number of unread messages in WeChat. Little red dot. It can be seen that small red dots are very common. As a product manager, it is very important to understand the little red dot mechanism and original design intention, master the design details of the little red dot, unify the delivery logic, and eliminate the logic. Putting the little red dot function in the product without careful consideration of the design will not only fail to achieve the effect of guiding users and diverting business, but will also make users feel bored and numb.
Do you still need to ask? It must be to remind users to check unread messages! (Actually, it is to divert business) In fact, the product manager uses the little red dot for nothing more than:
1. As a form of notification to inform users: You have information that has not yet been reviewed;
2. Direct traffic to important business entrances, increase clicks, and thereby increase business exposure.
The currently accepted theory is that the little red dot originated from the 9700 series of BlackBerry systems. At that time, the little red dot was displayed to the world in the form of an asterisk, and its specific origin cannot be verified. However, what is certain is that the little red dot has been carried forward by the iPhone. In 2013, Apple registered relevant patents and officially used the little red dot on the iOS system, and uniformly placed it in the upper right corner of the App as a notification specification. Slowly, users began to get used to this design, so that the little red dot became a common design standard for apps.
However, with the explosive growth of apps, little red dot designs have also begun to proliferate. As long as it is to promote new features of the product, increase clicks on a certain feature, or simply serve as a reminder, many product managers will put little red dots. It is precisely in this way that users become numb to the little red dots or even ignore them, and then become bored and uninstall the app, which seriously deviates from the original design intention of the product manager.
As more and more apps use little red dots, the original single form of little red dots has emerged in various styles according to business needs to meet the needs of different scenarios. The details are as follows:
Individual red dots
Individual red dots are the most common style and are mainly used for business entrances to serve as basic reminders and diversions. It is the most common little red dot style.
Digital red dot
The digital red dot is a style evolved by adding numbers to the original red dot. It can display the number of unread messages and is often used for Social App. Compared with individual red dots, digital red dots give people a stronger sense of "discomfort".
Text-style red dot
Text-style red dot is a style evolved by adding text on the basis of the original red dot, similar to the label TAG. Common text content includes "popular", "free", "NEW", and "limited time", which are mainly used to guide activities and have a certain ability to attract users.
Various-form little red dots
Different-form little red dots are a style evolved based on the original little red dots combined with icons or content thumbnails, allowing users to predict the content. It is mainly used in operational activity scenarios with strong push, such as game center, circle of friends, etc.
Then why can small red dots attract users’ attention and induce them to click? The reason is very simple. The use of the little red dot "destroyes" the balance and causes "discomfort" to the user. The details are as follows:
Self-balance is "destroyed"
App icon or navigation bar There are no small red dots in the icon under normal conditions. The sudden addition of small red dots causes it to change before and after, "destroying" its own balance. It undoubtedly plays the role of transmitting information (I have changed), thereby inducing click behavior;
Peripheral balance is "destroyed"
There is no harm without comparison. Compared with other App icons or navigation bar icons that do not have little red dots, Apps with little red dots will undoubtedly be disappointed. Or the icon becomes unique and quickly attracts the user's attention visually, thereby inducing click behavior;
The "discomfort" caused by "destruction"
People tend to like symmetry Beauty, this is the common psychology of pursuing harmony and unity, not to mention those with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The introduction of the little red dot "destroyed" the original harmony and caused "discomfort" to users, which in turn triggered the user's urge to eliminate the disharmony. The low-cost mechanism of clicking on the little red dot to eliminate it has been deeply ingrained in the user's psychology. In order to eliminate the "discomfort", users will click unconsciously or without hesitation.
It is the above induction mechanism of the little red dot that makes the little red dot gradually become a powerful tool to increase clicks. However, this sharp weapon is a "double-edged sword."
After understanding the origin, style and mechanism of the little red dot, the product manager needs to design and use the little red dot according to the actual scenario. But what kind of little red dot design is qualified?
In line with the user’s psychological model
Everyone has heard the story of the boy who cried wolf. Don’t let the little red dot become the App version of the boy who cried wolf. That is, make every placement of a small red dot meaningful within a controllable range, rather than blindly using it just to increase business clicks. If a user clicks on the little red dot to enter the page but finds that there is no new content, does he feel like he has been cheated? Just think, who wants to be cheated?
Of course, many product managers will say that the little red dot has been "broken" now. Even if our products do not abuse the little red dot (this requires resisting business pressure, which is not easy), other The product will also be abused, but the whole atmosphere of using the little red dot remains the same. Regarding this point, I personally feel that any attempt to change may cause a butterfly effect, and this right to change has always been in the hands of our product managers.
Unified elimination mechanism
Although small red dots make users feel "uncomfortable", a good and unified small red dot elimination mechanism can also bring users a better experience. Common elimination mechanisms are as follows:
1. Click to eliminate, that is, the user can eliminate the little red dot by clicking on the business entrance where the little red dot is located. This is the most common mechanism;
2. Reach the final page and eliminate the little red dots. In some deeper-level businesses, users need to click step by step along the path of the little red dots to finally eliminate the little red dots; the advantage of this mechanism is that it can guide users to follow the little red dots to the designated page, but the disadvantage is that Deep levels will make users feel bored. Therefore, when choosing this elimination mechanism, special attention must be paid to the depth of the business level;
3. Special elimination mechanism. Product managers tailor an elimination mechanism that conforms to product positioning based on the actual situation of their own products. For example, the QQ mobile version has "one-click to get off work" and "one-click to exit the court" designs. Interested students can search on their own or click on the references at the end of the article.
Restrain the use of small red dots
The large number of small red dots can make users feel numb or even bored. Therefore, product managers may wish to think more before placing small red dots and try to use other method to replace the little red dot, for example:
1. Micro-interaction of icon;
2. Micro-motion effect of product logo or mascot;
3. Scroll loading of digital copy;
4. Use dynamic graphics for business portals that need to increase click volume.
1. The little red dot that drives people crazy
2. "Annoying little goblin", where did the little red dot come from
3. QQ mobile phone Summary of the design of version 5.0 "One-click to get off work"