There are not many things that could be more enjoyable in a Digital service or product than properly executed Animations. They make people smile, but what’s more important is that they help users understand the product better. However, it’s essential to realize that Animation is not just about providing people with a feast for their eyes. Well-executed and functional animation makes any user interface much more usable and appealing.

Functional animation is the type of animation that has a definite and logical purpose on either a website or application. It helps reduce cognitive effort and avoids change blindness while establishing a better comprehension of spatial relations. In other words, animation keeps the user interface alive and thriving.

Not all UX design agencies deal with animation. Therefore, you should look among the most reputed contractors in the niche. Making sure you find the right agency before handing your design project to it is critical for a positive outcome. Nobody wants to waste their hard-earned money for an unwanted result, so don’t forget to make sure that the design agency you’re about to hire can develop animations for your project if that’s what you want.

The Importance of Good Animation

There are many purposes animation serves in terms of UX design. One of its first functions is showcasing your digital product’s functionality. It also helps users adapt to your product. And don’t forget that it can add a note of fun to the user experience. Animations are also often used to reinforce interactions on a website or within an app.

In other words, adequately executed animations provide users with an odd feeling of satisfaction, especially when they take them to the results of an action, such as items sliding off the screen or fading away upon deletion. Such effects let users feel that their actions have more impact than if you make items disappear, while all the other things on the screen rearrange. Good animation helps to find new interaction models with your audience, along with providing them with meaningful, functional designs.

How to Use UX Animation

Properly executed animation is an excellent addition to visual content in general and helps make user experience clearer and more pleasant. You should develop products or services’ layout, functionality, and navigation around the central purpose, which is usability. At the same time, animation is the clay that helps you fill in all the gaps.

Note that good animation doesn’t draw some special attention when insight. The timing and consistency should be entirely right. It must flow with the overall design of your digital product while providing your users with a great experience: no abrupt stoppages or sudden starts. The screen should feel like a Bob Ross painting video — pleasantly flowing and oddly satisfying.

Engage Users on Loading Screens

According to a wide range of studies performed over the past decade, 40% of users expect an app or website to load in 2 seconds at most. In cases when the loading time exceeds 4 seconds, average users begin to get frustrated. If it takes more than 8 seconds to load, they most certainly leave to look for alternatives. Even one second of delay in the speed of your product’s work can lead to a 7% client conversion rate decrease. Load time is critical to your digital product’s success. You can use some fun and catchy animations to keep your users engaged during those fractions of a second (or a couple of seconds at most).

Guide the Users with Animations

Frequently, when starting a website or application, users are presented with a screen stacked up with all sorts of things, leaving them confused, for the time being, not knowing where to start. It is where animation can save the situation. You can add clues about the objects’ properties that may pop up when the user hovers over them with the cursor, for example. Make sure to sit down — if possible — and discuss this with the UX design agency and see what options they can offer you upon research.

Animate Feedback on Users’ Accomplishments

While this is not as important for websites, it certainly plays a huge role in mobile apps. In most cases, people cover buttons with their fingers and don’t immediately see what happens after they tap an icon or button. It is the case, in which animation plays a crucial role in reassuring the user on the results they expect.

As of websites, you can make use of animations in providing visual feedback on the site’s functioning. Such animations should let users know about what’s currently going on, while they’re trying to accomplish a task, make a purchase, send a message to the support team, etc. They have to be brief and moderately informal because you still want to maintain the notion that you mean serious business. UX agencies know a great deal about such solutions, and they will readily provide you with several options and at least paper test them before proceeding to their design.

Closing Thoughts

As competitive as the modern digital market is, it’s always good to stand out. You can’t expect high client conversion rates and great sales if you launch a dull and confusing product or service onto it. Adding animation to either your site or app can potentially make it very engaging and refreshing. The one crucial aspect of doing this is finding a reputable UX agency and trusting it in the process.

Why Animation Is Important in UX Design was originally published in BetaPage on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.