The Science Behind Why We Tap: How Micro-Behaviours Drive UX

16 March 2025  \\\  3 min read

The Tap Before Thought

Have you ever found yourself unlocking your phone without a reason — just to “check something”? I catch myself doing it while waiting for kopi at a hawker centre, thumb hovering over Instagram before my mind even decides to. These little moments — almost invisible — are what shape our relationship with design. Every tap, swipe, and scroll is a micro-behaviour, and understanding them is at the heart of good UX.

A tap isn’t just an action — it’s a conversation between intent and design.

When Design Breaks the Flow

Many products in Singapore and beyond still design around features instead of around behaviour. We obsess over aesthetics and onboarding flows, yet forget that people don’t consciously decide to tap most of the time — they just do. When a banking app hides its “PayNow” button under two extra layers, or a parking app forgets your last location, we disrupt the natural behavioural rhythm users rely on. Each second of friction breaks the habit loop.

Designing for the Blink Moments

Designing for micro-behaviours means designing for human impulses. It’s about reducing mental effort, surfacing intent early, and rewarding small actions quickly.

The best UX doesn’t demand attention; it earns instinct.

In Hooked, Nir Eyal talks about the “Trigger–Action–Reward–Investment” loop — and that’s exactly what a product like Grab nails. The green button appears before you think, the animation reassures you, the points nudge you to return. The design doesn’t shout; it quietly reinforces habit.

Little Moments, Big Impact

Some of the best UX isn’t flashy — it’s invisible. These are the small touches that make daily life just a little smoother, often without us noticing. Over time, they become habits, almost like second nature. Here are a few of my personal favourites, from apps and services I use in Singapore every day, that quietly get the job done:

✅ Taping the QR code right from the bank app’s home screen without logging in
✅ Saving a social media post with a quick tap on the little bookmark icon
✅ Doing a quick calculation inside a WhatsApp chat instead of opening the cal app.
✅ Taping into the Singpass QR code to login to multiple platforms

Every Tap Tells a Story

In the end, every “tap” tells a story. Great UX isn’t about creating new habits — it’s about respecting existing ones and guiding them gently. Whether it’s a hawker ordering system or a global app, the magic lies in those tiny, human moments we often overlook. What’s your favourite tap?

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