An introduction to animation in web design

Animation is not just for cartoons anymore. From full-screen moving images to small hover effects, animation is popping up everywhere. Animation is trendy, fun and user-friendly.

And the barriers to the use of animation began to fall. With most users on high-speed connections and the ease of creating anything from simple motions or a silly gif to several minutes of action, animations have become practical and useful web design tools.

Let’s dive in!

Animation basics

As with any other design technique, animations can be subtle or they can be in your face and hard to avoid.

Animation occurs when something created in static or two-dimensional form is “brought to life” and appears to move in a way that follows the laws of physics. It’s how a cartoon character walks across the screen or how an app icon bounces like a ball as it loads on your Mac’s desktop.

One of the words almost synonymous with animation is Disney. In the early 1980s, two of the companies’ top animators wrote a book outlining the 12 principles of animation. The “Illusion of Life: Disney Animation” by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston still provides the framework for animation today.

1. Squash and stretch
2. Expectation
3. Performance
4. Straight forward Action and pose to pose
5. Follow through and overlapping action
6. Slow in and slow out
7. Arc
8. Secondary Action
9. Timing
10. Exaggeration
11. Solid drawing
12. Appeal

Web animations are often saved as GIF, CSS, SVG, WebGL, or video. They can be anything from a simple underline that...