Activity feeds support the process of sharing and promoting content between different users. More commonly known as news feeds, these UI patterns are great means of spreading information in a quick and accessible manner. The name is fairly intuitive, as activity feeds act as digital newspapers - however, they have a much more prominent flexibility.
The main principle on which an activity feed works is by ordering various items in the form of a list based on different parameters such as time, relevance, popularity, and frequency. This UI pattern is frequently used on social media platforms, news outlets, and even on our notification screens because they are dynamic and straightforward. Activity feeds are an important part of UX because they create an immersive digital experience for the users.
Types of Activity Feeds in UI/UX Design
Flat Feeds
Flat feeds are commonly used for social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This default feed contains a simple list of activities and it usually displays posts in an order that is relevant to each user.
Aggregated feeds are useful for grouping activities in order to be viewed in a more simple manner. One of the most common examples of aggregated feeds is the sequence ‘Liked by Mary and 200 others’ that can be found on most social media platforms. Instead of focusing on individuals, these feeds place the attention on the community.
Notification feeds have the property of notifying a user about an action performed by another member of the community. The most common examples are the Read and Seen features. There are also options that allow users to link the notifications to their emails so that they do not miss them.
The order in which your users will interact with different types of content is crucial for keeping them engaged. There are multiple principles by which a news feed is arranged, but the most common ones are time, relevancy, popularity, and algorithm.
Customization
One of the most valuable things activity feeds bring to users is a personalized experience. It is essential to select what type of content and which frequency of displaying it will generate a more engaging and immersive user experience.
Grouping
To keep our activity feeds as organized and scannable as possible, we group updates in different categories. For example, in the case of likes on social media platforms, it is very helpful to group them for visual and practical purposes.
When To Use Activity Feeds in UI Design
Increasing Interaction
We can integrate activity feeds into our websites and apps when we want to boost engagement on our page. The type of content we show, as well as the frequency and time we display, can influence the likelihood of our users interacting with the posts.
Pushing Content
Another important usage of activity feeds is for the promotion of new content. Due to their layout, it is much easier to promote brand-new posts to our users, without implementing disruptive and aggressive strategies that may result in lower success rates.
Community
Activity feeds create a great environment for communities to flourish. If our goal is to grow a community, implementing news feeds can increase the chances of communication and collaboration between our users.
Use the Activity Feed UI Element in Your UI/UX Design With uinkits
Our uinkits system is a Figma Design System and UI Kits that include UI components that allow you, as a UI UX designer, to create your design products as quickly as pressing a button. You can find all the elements of activity feeds and everything you need to create the perfect product design in Figma – all in just a few clicks. All you have to do is take the UI design component you need, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!
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