UX Design: How To Use Captivating Animations In Mobile Applications By James Tredwell on October 12, 2020 Create Inspirational, Eye-Catching Animations That Grab The User’s Attention And Have A Positive Impact On The Integrated UX Design Introduction Mobile apps have to be beneficial, convenient, and attractive. It is best to choose the design of the specialists who can deliver user-friendly products. User experience (UX) design has many components including intuitive UI(user interaction) elements. Two other key design factors are quality and cultural value. An inspirational app has to stand apart from its competitors. This goal is achievable by prioritizing cutting-edge UI/UX features. One creative solution is to integrate eye-catching animations into the user interface. It will not only engage the viewer but also motivate him to take some useful action. Animations address many design issues like sensory triggers and status symbols. They also effectively promote products and generate memorable user experiences. But mobile app developers have to deliver an integrated UX design. They cannot afford to use animation in the wrong place or time. Faulty integration of animation can create many problems. It obstructs the user’s preferred interaction flow and creates a jarring experience. Besides, some users do not respond favorably to noisy interventions. They get irritated by poor-quality moving images and look for an escape route. In the next section, we will look at the various animation-related concerns. Those who design app interfaces have to be creative, bold, and circumspection at the same time. They have to find the right balance between immersive experience and innovative solutions like 3D animation. Mobile App Animation First-rate mobile app designers are a rare and glorified breed. They stand apart from the also-ran due to superior skills and knowledge, and because they stick to high design standards, and always implement a viable strategy. They follow the best practices and carefully choose the best type of animation. Design Techniques Splash Screen Millennial mobile users get instantly turned off by slow loading time. They prefer ads that load within 2 to 3 seconds. To engage such users, the designers rely on splash screen animation. The goal of this technique is to engage users while the app loads. The app creators try different loading animations and choose the best. They select from simple clips, creative animation, login screens, and time-lapsed content. They also optimize the content and deliver a short, informative, and stylish animation. The integration takes place at the outset, so it has to be error-free. These launch or boot screens with logo jumps and rotating effects can effectively hold the user’s attention. Navigational Guide UX designers familiarize the user with an app using onboarding animation. The moving images get rendered on a simple, minimal screen. Thus, this design technique is very effective in achieving conversion rates. The first-time user is greatly impressed and he becomes a loyal, regular user. The animation quickly introduces the user to the app’s structure. It is very effective in revealing the app’s complexities for easy understanding. Besides, this navigational guide is activated when the app starts. And the structured design ensures anytime access for the impressed users. The onboarding animation design has to be purposeful and useful. And as such, every moving frame has an in-built, specialized function. Visual Aids UI/UX design is about consistent, stable, and reliable interactions. Animation can change a button’s color or size. It can also be useful in rotating pictures in response to swiping actions. And the animation is effective in describing or displaying visual elements, products, etc., Top designers use animation techniques for visual feedback. They also use a limited set of visual hints or clues to direct the users. The idea is to maintain a smooth flow without any distractions. Transitions Integrating animation to notify display element changes is very effective. Android and Apple phones have icons, buttons, images, menus, drop-down lists, etc. These graphical user interface elements also undergo constant transformations. Animations convey such changes truthfully. As regards transitions, user participation and satisfaction are paramount. Designers use animations to convey these changes subtly. They include page navigation, box-checking, open settings, message transfer, etc. The goal is to ensure smooth transitions without losing context. Entertainment Modern designers are not averse to entertaining the users. They even employ cutting-edge techniques like 3D animation just to entertain the traffic. And these moving images don’t just have to be funny and enjoyable. They can also convey useful information without boring the information-seeking user. 3D animation is a powerful visualization tool that ensures realism. The designers deploy 3D objects and scenes using state-of-art modeling techniques. They also create lively 3D characters with human emotions and hand gestures, to put them in well-rendered scenes. Brand Promotion The top-rated designers do not restrict themselves to user experience. They also deploy purposeful apps for brand promotion by integrating beautiful, informative animations into the app for creating a greater impact. And they improve product visibility using various methods. First, the designers incorporate light and intuitive animation into specific apps. They promote a product or highlight some brand’s features. They do this without comprising the app’s primary functionality and features. Secondly, the best app developers can deliver pull-to-refresh animation. They utilize this touch screen gesture to target the user subliminally. When a user reaches the scrolling limit, the screen refreshes with new visual feedback i.e. brand animation. Correct Implementation: Tips and Tricks Choosing the right kind of animation technique is very significant. But it is only half the battle, as you have to ensure correct implementation too. And this requires a talented design team with expertise and dedication. They should also be proficient in all the latest technical aspects of UI/UX. The best UX techniques go haywire if the designer is not up to the mark. They have to be familiar with various types of animation. And they include transitions, feedback forms, loading, and progress animations. Besides, the best designers assure conceptual UI, navigational ease, and promotions. The successful UI/UX experts leave nothing to chance. They explore their creative side and design artistic visual elements. They also apply the principles of physics to deploy apps with animation – Duration The standard guidelines for designers are very clear in the duration of the animation. For mobiles, they prescribe a limit of 200 to 300 milliseconds. For tablets, the duration is slightly higher at 400 to 450 ms. Animations shorter than 100 ms are not useful. It is because they do not get recognized by the human brain. An experienced mobile app developer finds the perfect balance between display time and waiting period. He keeps the animation slow enough to be enjoyable. But not fast enough to miss either. Speed Animated features are effective in hastening user interactions. Speed is also determinable by the app’s purpose and visual elements. Animations that promote products and engage users with informative or entertaining content have to be longer. But those which enforce minute changes to the display elements can be very fast. And top designers with unique styles will never neglect the speed or slowness of transitions. They also factor in the speed of window and animator scales of mobile phones. Natural Movement Poor designs have hazy elements and create motion blur. The problem with many animators is that they rely on linear motion. It is a flaw as curvy motion is more suitable for delivering a better UX. This motion is not only natural but also smoother and more enjoyable. Designers enforce natural movement using different principles. They slowly change an object’s position or hastily speed it up before halting it altogether. But for interface animations, they accelerate, slow down and stop the object motion in a measured fashion. Superior transitions Interface or state transitions are very tricky but efficient. If the designer wants smooth screen changes, he has to follow these basic rules – Smoothly guide the user’s eye movement in a single direction. Implement the top-down transition using a uniform flow. You cannot hold the user’s attention by scattering the display elements. For tabular views, the visual elements have to be directed diagonally Delayed or zig-zag display of the graphical elements puts off the users. Complex screens with central and subordinate objects must have ordered transitions. If there are too many screen elements or objects, minimize the animation. Have a look at this Cinema App where all the transitions are smooth and engaging. The screen changes include movie schedules, seating arrangements, checkout details, and film posters – The animated app ensures smooth and streamlined state transitions. A visually delightful and well-placed animation never misses its mark. It guarantees a personalized and productive experience. Conclusion In conclusion, the most impactful UX designs are result-oriented. They achieve a perfect balance between attractive features and functional efficiency. The app developers strategize and execute a brilliant design in multiple iterations. They do not compromise on quality, relevance, or price. They also include animation at pressure-free points in the interactive flow. The user is neither overwhelmed by clutter nor is he left clueless. He will successfully navigate the app with familiar features and minimized content. He will also enjoy the clarity offered by functional animations.
