Animations in websites: when to use them and when not to

Animations can make a website seem modern and alive but only when used deliberately and wisely. Distractive animations should never be present on a website. In my experience building SaaS and demo websites, animations should typically be used when enhancing user experience. A guide is a perfect instance to use animations. Smooth user navigation can be achieved through micro animations such as hover, scroll, and minor transitions. As an example, fade-in when a user scrolls should be used to show focus on vital content.

A user should also be made to know when a button is pressable via an animation that shows change on hover. These kinds of little details user trust, strengthen engagement, and polished site feel. Storytelling is also a field of website design where animations can be used. With SaaS or AI landing pages, animations explain features or workflows. In the hero section and features of a website, a onstracted Lottie animation can describe the functions of a website or application without much user reading. In this type of use-case, animations support the message.

Animations may lead to frustration instead of pleasure. They are counterproductive as they may increase loading time, or make the website more difficult to use. If every section of a website spins or slides into place, the user will struggle to find the website’s primary functions and the website’s purpose will be lost. Animations may be engaging for the first ten seconds, but after that, they lead to frustration. A user may find it easier to use a simplified website than a complicated, animated one. It can be annoying when a website’s animation does not complement the site’s purpose. Because of the website’s purpose and the expectations that come with it, adding more and more visual elements can lead to an overly cluttered site.

It is better to design a website without animations than to make an unprofessional looking website. Planning animations that serve a purpose, like transitioning or signaling an action, can make the website easier to use. Unplanned animations that serve no purpose will confuse the user. Design is knowing when to make a website simpler and when to add more features.