The Power Behind Animations on Websites

What are Animations?

Web animations have evolved from simple gimmicks to powerful tools that shape user experience, engagement, and storytelling. When used effectively, animations guide users through content, provide feedback, and create a sense of flow that static interfaces simply can’t achieve. From subtle microinteractions to immersive 3D experiences, motion design helps bridge the gap between functionality and emotion, making websites feel more intuitive and dynamic. At their core, animations modify visual properties of elements, such as position, size, opacity, color, or transform, creating the illusion of movement, transition, or change.

Beyond aesthetics, animations serve a strategic purpose, improving usability, directing attention, and even influencing conversions. On the flip side, poorly implemented animations can hinder accessibility, impact performance, and frustrate users rather than enhance their journey.

In this post, we’ll explore the different types of animations, their impact on engagement, and when (and when not) to use them.

Evolution and Purpose

Web animations have evolved dramatically from the simple GIFs and Flash animations of the 1990s to today’s sophisticated CSS, JavaScript, SVG, and WebGL implementations. What began as decorative elements have become strategic UX tools that serve multiple functions:

• Guide attention to important elements or actions
• Provide visual feedback for interactions
• Create continuity between different states or pages
• Explain relationships between elements
• Enhance storytelling and brand personality
• Improve perceived performance during loading times

The Psychological Impact of Motion in UX

Animations do more than just make a website look good, they tap into human psychology to create a more engaging and memorable experience. Motion is deeply ingrained in how we process information. From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains are wired to notice movement, whether it’s a change in lighting, an object shifting in our vision, or elements drawing attention on a screen. When applied effectively in UX, animations can influence user behaviour, improve retention, and reinforce brand identity.

Motion Captures Attention & Guides Focus

Users scan web pages quickly, often missing key information. Animations serve as a visual cue, subtly directing attention where it matters most. For example:

• Button microinteractions (hover effects, pulsing CTA buttons) encourage clicks.
• Loading animations reduce perceived wait times and keep users engaged.
• Scroll-triggered effects (parallax, fades) create a sense of progression and encourage exploration.

Emotional Connection & User Engagement

Animations create personality and depth in digital interactions, making them feel more natural and human. Consider how:

• Soft easing and fluid transitions mimic real-world physics, making interactions feel intuitive.
• Playful animations (e.g. celebratory confetti after form submission) create a positive emotional response.
• Brand storytelling through motion (e.g. animated mascots or illustrated sequences) can leave a lasting impression.

Reinforcing Brand Identity Through Motion

Every brand has a tone and personality, and animations should reflect that. A tech startup might use sleek, minimal transitions, while a creative agency might lean into bold, expressive motion. Consistency is key and animation styles should align with a brand’s overall design system to provide a cohesive and memorable experience.

One study found that interactive animated elements increased brand recall by up to 34% compared to static designs.

Retention & Cognitive Load

Engaging animations can help users remember key information by associating motion with meaning. However, excessive or unnecessary motion can lead to cognitive overload, making interfaces feel distracting or overwhelming. Striking the right balance is crucial:

• Use animations to support content, not overshadow it.
• Ensure functional animations are intuitive, like progress indicators or hover states.
• Allow users to control motion (e.g. reduce motion settings for accessibility).

Types of Animations and Their Use Cases

We’ve explored the purpose of animations and how they psychologically enhance storytelling. But what forms do animations take? What are their pros and cons? And which ones are best for your use case? Let’s dive in!

1. Brand Video Animations

Brand video animations are short, visually engaging clips designed to introduce a brand, showcase products, or tell a compelling story. These animations help businesses create an emotional connection with their audience, often used on landing pages, social media, and email marketing campaigns. Research shows that video content can increase conversion rates by up to 80%, as it captures attention faster than static visuals. However, brand videos require significant bandwidth, which can impact page load speeds, and they are often passive experiences rather than interactive.

According to Wyzowl, a staggering 84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

Pros:

• Strong storytelling
• High engagement
• Versatile for marketing

Cons:

• Can slow down websites (especially painful if the video is unoptimised and above the fold)
• Lacks interactivity

Apple’s landing pages often feature animated product videos to introduce new devices and highlight key features. These animations are widely regarded as the gold standard for digital storytelling, seamlessly blending aesthetics with functionality to captivate users and drive engagement.

2. Page Transitions

Page transitions add movement between pages, creating a smooth and seamless browsing experience. Rather than abrupt page loads, transitions can introduce fades, slides, or creative effects that make navigation feel more fluid. This technique helps maintain continuity, making the site feel like a cohesive experience rather than a series of disconnected pages (a one page experience).

Pros:

• Enhances perceived speed by masking load times
• Creates a more polished and immersive experience
• Strengthens brand identity through consistent motion design

Cons:

• Overuse can feel excessive or slow down navigation
• Requires complex JavaScript libraries such as Swup.js or Barba.js
• Poorly optimised transitions may impact performance

3. Scroll Animations

Scroll animations trigger movement as users scroll, adding interactivity and depth to the browsing experience. They can highlight key content, guide focus, and make storytelling more engaging. Studies show that well-implemented scroll animations can increase scroll depth by 25%, leading to higher engagement and better content retention. However, excessive or unoptimised animations can feel overwhelming and negatively impact load times.

Pros:

• Encourages users to explore content deeper
• Guides attention to key sections
• Creates a more engaging and interactive experience

Cons:

• Can be distracting if overused
• Heavy animations may affect page performance
• Needs to be accessible for motion-sensitive users

Tutorful’s homepage uses smooth fade-ins and parallax effects to make its storytelling more immersive.

4. Lottie Animations

Lottie animations are lightweight, vector-based motion graphics rendered in real-time using JSON files. They are widely used in modern UI/UX design for microinteractions, animated icons, and onboarding experiences. Lottie files are significantly smaller than GIFs or videos, making them ideal for performance-focused websites and mobile apps. These animations can be interactive, responding to user actions like swipes and clicks. However, implementing Lottie requires additional frameworks or libraries, and customizing animations requires modifying the JSON file.

Pros:

• Lightweight and scalable compared to GIFs or videos
• Supports interactivity and real-time rendering
• Maintains high quality across devices

Cons:

• Requires the Lottie library for implementation
• Customisation is limited without JSON file editing

Lottie’s own homepage is a great example of how animations, in various forms, can be leveraged as a powerful engagement tool. From subtle microinteractions to dynamic hero animations, Lottie showcases how motion can enhance storytelling, guide user attention, and create a visually compelling experience, all while maintaining performance efficiency.

5. JavaScript (JS) Animations

JavaScript animations leverage libraries like GSAP (my personal favourite), Three JS, Anime.js, Rellax JS, mo.js and more to create interactive and highly customisable motion effects. These animations power everything from dynamic UI elements to interactive product showcases and gamified experiences. Because JavaScript allows for deep control over animation sequences, it’s ideal for complex interactions. However, it requires coding knowledge and, if not optimised properly, can negatively impact website performance.

Pros:

• Highly interactive and dynamic
• Ideal for complex animation sequences
• Works well with real-time user interactions

Cons:

• Requires JavaScript expertise
• Poor optimisation can impact performance

6. Canvas Animations

Canvas animations, powered by the HTML5 Canvas API, allow for advanced visual effects, particle animations, and data visualisations. Unlike CSS or JavaScript animations that manipulate the DOM, Canvas renders graphics directly within a <canvas> element, making it ideal for high-performance animations. This approach is widely used in gaming, creative web experiences, and real-time visualisations. However, Canvas animations require more development effort and debugging can be complex.

Pros:

• High-performance, doesn’t rely on the DOM
• Best for particle effects, games, and complex graphics
• Enables creative, custom visual experiences

Cons:

• More difficult to implement than CSS/JS animations
• Debugging and maintenance can be challenging

Google’s “Quick, Draw!” game uses Canvas animations for real-time AI-powered drawing recognition.

7. CSS Animations & Transitions

CSS animations and transitions provide a lightweight way to add motion effects to UI elements using properties like transform, opacity, and keyframes. These animations are widely used for hover effects, menu transitions, and content reveals. Since they are natively supported by browsers and hardware-accelerated, CSS animations are ideal for simple motion effects. However, they lack the flexibility of JavaScript for complex sequences and interactivity.

Pros:

• Smooth, lightweight, and hardware-accelerated
• Simple to implement and widely supported
• Great for subtle UI enhancements

Cons:

• Limited interactivity compared to JS animations
• Complex sequences require multiple keyframes

8. WebGL & Three.js Animations

WebGL animations, powered by the browser’s graphics engine, enable immersive 3D experiences on the web. Using libraries like Three.js, developers can create interactive product showcases, 3D visualisations, and virtual environments. These animations are ideal for brands looking to push creative boundaries. However, WebGL is resource-intensive, requiring proper optimisation to avoid lag and performance drops.

Pros:

• Enables stunning 3D interactions and immersive experiences
• Great for high-end product showcases and visual storytelling
• Uses GPU acceleration for smoother performance

Cons:

• Requires WebGL/Three.js expertise (often expensive)
• Can be resource-intensive if not optimised

Examples of 3D models can be seen on the Three.js website.

Learn more about the growing influence of WebGL here.

9. Microinteractions & UI Animations

Microinteractions are small but impactful animations that enhance usability by providing real-time feedback and guiding user actions. These include hover effects, button pulses, loading spinners, and form validation animations. When used correctly, microinteractions improve user engagement and make the interface feel more intuitive. However, excessive microinteractions can become distracting or overwhelming, particularly for users with motion sensitivities.

Pros:

• Enhances usability with real-time feedback
• Improves engagement without overwhelming users
• Guides users subtly through the interface

Cons:

• Can become distracting if overused
• Needs accessibility considerations for motion-sensitive users

Which Animation Type is Right for You?

The best animation choice depends on your goals:

• For storytelling & branding: Brand Videos, Lottie animations.
• For seamless UI transitions: Page Transitions, Scroll Animations, CSS/JS animations.
• For interactive & data-heavy applications: Canvas, WebGL, or Three.js animations.

Animations should enhance usability, not distract from it. Thoughtful use of motion can boost engagement, increase lead generation, and reinforce brand identity when done right.

Accessibility Concerns (And How to Remedy Them)

While animations can enhance engagement and guide user focus, they can also create barriers for users with motion sensitivities, cognitive disabilities, or visual impairments. Poorly implemented animations can lead to discomfort, confusion, or even trigger vestibular disorders.

The Impact of Animations on Accessibility

Animations can enhance user experience, but when misused, they can create significant barriers for individuals with disabilities. Let’s break down some key statistics and explore their implications.

The Scope of Accessibility Challenges

• Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 16% of the world’s population, or 1.3 billion people, experience significant disabilities
• In the UK, approximately 24% of the population, equating to 16.1 million individuals, reported having a disability in the 2022/23 period. This percentage has risen from 18% in 2002/03, highlighting an increasing trend in reported disabilities. The prevalence of disability varies across age groups:
  • Children (under 16 years): 11% reported having a disability.
  • Working-age adults (16 to 64 years): 23% reported having a disability.
  • Adults over State Pension age (65 years and over): 45% reported having a disability.

How Animations Can Create Accessibility Barriers

• Vestibular Disorders & Motion Sensitivity
  • Up to 35% of users with vestibular disorders experience dizziness, nausea, or disorientation when exposed to excessive motion effects.
  • Fast-moving page transitions, parallax scrolling, and autoplaying animations can trigger symptoms, making websites unusable for these individuals.
• Cognitive Disabilities & Focus Impairment
  • Animations that auto-play or lack user control can reduce usability for people with cognitive disabilities, making it harder to focus on content (WebAIM).
  • Distracting motion elements can disrupt reading comprehension and cause frustration.

Want to learn more about accessibility and its importance on websites? Click me!

The numbers highlight a clear reality, millions of users experience disabilities that impact the way they interact with digital content. When animations are designed without accessibility in mind, they can create unnecessary barriers rather than enhancing the user experience.

This brings us to some of the most common accessibility issues caused by animations:

• Excessive motion & parallax effects: Can trigger motion sickness or dizziness.
• Auto-playing animations: Removes user control and can be overwhelming.
• Rapid or flashing animations: Can cause discomfort or even seizures in photosensitive users.
• Relying on motion for navigation: Users with disabilities may struggle to interact with elements requiring gestures or movement.

How to Make Animations More Accessible

Ensuring animations enhance rather than hinder user experience is key to inclusive design. Here’s how you can make them more accessible.

Implement “Prefers Reduced Motion” in CSS

Some users experience discomfort from excessive motion, so modern browsers provide a way for them to signal their preference for reduced animation. By detecting the prefers-reduced-motion setting, websites can adjust or disable non-essential animations for users who have motion sensitivity settings enabled.

Use CSS to respect user preferences:

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
   * {
      animation: none !important;
      transition: none !important;
   }
}

This prevents unnecessary animations while keeping the site functional.

Allow Users to Pause or Disable Animations

Not all users who are sensitive to motion rely on system settings, some may prefer manual control. Websites should provide a way to pause or disable animations, especially for key UI elements like background motion, autoplaying effects, or looping animations.

To achieve this, you can add a “reduce motion” toggle in your site settings, storing user preferences in local storage, like so:

document.getElementById("motionToggle").addEventListener("click", function() {
   document.body.classList.toggle("reduced-motion");
   localStorage.setItem("reduceMotion", document.body.classList.contains("reduced-motion"));
});

Then, in your CSS file, add the following:

.reduced-motion * {
   animation: none !important;
   transition: none !important;
}

Use Subtle & Purposeful Motion

Motion should enhance the user experience, not be a distraction. Animations should be smooth, slow enough to process comfortably, and serve a clear function, like guiding attention rather than being purely decorative. This can be achieved with simple transition timer states, such as:

button:hover {
   transform: scale(1.05);
   transition: transform 0.2s ease-out;
}

Ensure Animations Support, Not Replace, Content

Some users may not perceive animations at all, so they shouldn’t be the sole method of conveying information. Navigation, alerts, or important UI feedback should be accessible without requiring motion.

An example of this is a loading spinner, which provides text content alongside the animation so that screen readers can still interpret it:

<div class="loading-container">
   <div class="spinner" aria-hidden="true"></div>
   <p class="loading-text" aria-live="polite">Loading content, please wait...</p>
</div>

.spinner {
   width: 40px;
   height: 40px;
   border: 4px solid #000000;
   border-top-color: #000000;
   border-radius: 50%;
   animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
}

@keyframes spin {
   from { transform: rotate(0deg); }
   to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}

How Animations Affect Engagement & Conversions

The numbers tell a compelling story about animation’s impact on digital experiences. Recent research reveals how thoughtfully implemented motion transforms passive browsing into active engagement. According to Baymard Institute’s UX benchmark study, websites featuring purposeful micro-interactions saw users lingering 16% longer compared to static alternatives. This deeper engagement isn’t coincidental, Google’s Web Core Vitals team found that scroll-triggered animations increased content exploration by nearly a quarter, with users scrolling 22% further down pages where content revealed itself through motion rather than appearing all at once.

This engagement translates directly to business metrics that matter. ConversionXL’s analysis across dozens of e-commerce experiences showed animated confirmation feedback boosting checkout completion by 8.4%, transforming the moment of hesitation into confidence through simple motion cues. For lead generation, the story is equally compelling. HubSpot’s extensive landing page analysis revealed forms with animated validation and submission feedback converting at rates 13.2% higher than their static counterparts, proving that even subtle movement can guide users through completion barriers.

Research from Nielsen Norman Group’s documented how sites implementing thoughtful loading animations experienced bounce rate reductions averaging 12.8%. These animations create what UX researchers call “perceived performance“, where time feels faster when filled with purposeful motion rather than static waiting. When animations guide eyes toward key calls to action through subtle movement, click-through rates improve between 7-11% across industries from SaaS to e-commerce to media sites.

In short, animations play a crucial role in shaping user experience. When used thoughtfully, they can guide users through a site, improve retention, and even drive conversions, but when overdone, they can have the opposite effect!