Collaboration has been one of the basic principles on which society has always functioned and achieved progress. Communities have formed and developed to spread information and news since the dawn of time. And it has never been more accessible and easier to reach out to a community that you share common interests with as it is today with activity feeds.
User interfaces have been revolutionized with the introduction of activity feeds - we see them in our day-to-day life, whether we’re looking for the latest stock market news or we’re just scrolling through our Instagram feed to see what our friends are up to.
What are Activity Feeds in UI Design?
Activity feeds support the process of sharing and promoting content between different users. More commonly known as news feeds, these UI design 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 UI UX design because they create an immersive digital experience for the users.
The most common and popular usage of activity feeds is for social media platforms, and it is not difficult to see why. With the help of algorithms, UI/UX designers have created the perfect environment for carefully curated feeds to satisfy user needs by pushing the content they are most interested in.
Components of an Activity Feed UI Design
Better known as the avatar, this activity feed component shows users which user performed an action, or in this case, shared content. Actors come in different forms, such as initials, photos, and illustrations.
On a user interface, the icon shows what type of activity has been performed by a specific user. For example, an icon could showcase that a member of the digital community has updated their status.
- Actor and Short Activity Description
Avatars are generally adjoined with short descriptions, such as a name, which helps users identify which member of the community has posted something. Besides this, the component provides a clear and straightforward explanation of the nature of the activity that a user performed.
UI/UX designers have the option of showcasing a preview of the activity that has been completed in the form of a text preview. For example, if a user updated their profile picture on Facebook, the text preview could signal this.
One of the activity feed features that has enhanced user experience is the introduction of timestamps. Many users consider it important to know when a post was made, and this is the exact role of this component.
The place in which an activity occurred is also essential for the user experience, and activity feeds include this helpful option of identifying the location.
The more users and pages someone engages with, the more complex and long their activity feed will become. This is why, a filtering and searching option is instrumental for platforms such as news outlets and social media websites. For example, Instagram offers us the ability to filter posts based on the accounts we are following.
The last component, the new activity one, helps users easily follow which posts and content they have already interacted with, which enhances and makes the user experience and user interface more accessible.
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Types of Activity Feeds in UI Design
1. 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.
2. Aggregated Feeds
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’ can be found on most social media platforms. Instead of focusing on individuals, these feeds place the attention on the community.
3. Notification Feeds
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.
How To Use Activity Feeds in UI Design
As UI/UX designers, it is very likely that we will need to interact and design activity feeds at some point in the course of our careers. This is why it is essential that we are familiar with the methods and design principles we should integrate when dealing with activity feed digital design.
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.
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 the frequency of display will generate a more engaging and immersive user experience.
To keep our activity feeds as organized, scannable, and clean as possible, as UI/UX designers, 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
There are many advantages of adding activity feeds to the design of a website or an app, and it is crucial for a UI/UX designer to know when to use them.
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.
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Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.
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By
Cristi Fonea
•
February 17, 2025
