# The Effects of the Floating Action Button on Quality of Experience
## 1 Introduction  
Floating action buttons (FAB) are shaped like a circled icon and positioned mostly on the lower right of the screen, floating above the user interface (UI) [1]. Functionally, floating action buttons provide quick access to important or common actions within an app. Usually, it should be a positive interaction, such as creating, sharing, exploring, and so on. Since its release in 2014, Google fused the FAB UI element in many of its web and mobile applications with the goal of making a visual language that integrates the standards of good design with the advancement in engineering. It has turned out to be a standout amongst the most striking components of the Material Design UI language [2]. Basically, FABs can be portrayed as a suggestion to act, since they attempt to persuade the user to perform a specific activity (for example begin transferring or adding content). It can be a trigger to an activity either on the present screen, or it can play out an activity that makes another screen. Research by Google shows that when faced with an unfamiliar screen many users rely on FAB to navigate. Thus, it is a way to prioritize the most important action a designer wants users to take [3]. More research has confirmed the good implications FAB has on user experience. Analysis from 40 users tested in the qualitative research proved users' preference of the FAB over the conventional navigation component defined by the \"+\" icon placed in the top right of the screen. When users had successfully finished an assignment using the FAB they were capable of using it more effectively than the toolbar alternative [4]. However, some authors claim that, similar to the Hamburger Menu, the FAB solves the designer's problem, not the users' [5]. Adding a FAB would automatically result in a user experience (UX) that is less immersive, particularly affecting apps (or screens) that aim to provide an immersive experience [6]. An example can be found in Google's new Photos application. Additionally, the FABtakes up a certain amount of screen space and can divert users from the content. It is intended to grab user's visual attention with its prominent and grid-breaking design, but in certain cases its presence can represent a distraction from the main content. UX investigation of the Gmail application can set up a model. In the Gmail applications' FAB is the \"compose\" button, suggesting that the essential activity users perform is to compose an email. Various studies have proven that at least 50% of emails are now read on a mobile device, however little to none demonstrate a similar move as far as creating messages. Specifically, most mobile users read their emails on the go and a FAB can cause annoyance among users, as it hides important content. [6; 7] An inquiry which emerges is consider the possibility that the \"advanced activity\" simply is not utilized that frequently by users. Even though those findings are based on data collected from real users, thorough research of FAB user experience has not been conducted. The FAB's greatest advantage is that it is a standardized UI navigation pattern, meaning that standardized navigation patterns alleviate users' cognitive load considerably. Least psychological burden implies most extreme ease of use. Also, following Google material design guidelines regarding the FAB functionality allows Android application developers and designers to improve design consistency. However, as explained before, the FAB works for some UIs more than others. FAB navigation is recommended if the user needs to access a specific section or functionality of an app in a quick way regardless of hierarchy or in case the space to show such navigation is limited. When there is a specific functionality or pages that are more frequently used than other parts of the app, FAB serves as the shortcut box to show that choice and to shorten the path for the users. In other cases, expandable FAB makes the navigational transition from state to state a more fluent experience.