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Wonderful article. I hate to be a pedant but you have a typo that detracts some attention because it is in the opening paragraph. > I mean, does anybody really

Wonderful article. I hate to be a pedant but you have a typo that detracts some attention because it is in the opening paragraph. > I mean, does anybody really enjoys a stiff, snappy UI? enjoys => enjoy

ASalazarMX 7y ago
Typo aside, I greatly prefer a stiff, snappy UI. These kinds of animations look nice and smooth at first, but get in the way after a while. I just want to type some text and check a few boxes, not wait for animations to finish so the UI is responsive again.
- robocat 7y ago
  Some animations really help usability. I use a programme picker that is a poor Netflix clone. Selecting down to the next row is immediate, and selecting right for the next show within a row also immediately jumps. Vertical and horizontal smooth scrolling (a type of animation) would improve the UI (caveat: unless too slow of course).
  - orhmeh09 7y ago
    Could you tell me how?
    - robocat 7y ago
      Three animations I have implemented: 1. bounce of badge when message received and badge number increases (no sound). A la Mac. 2. After modality viewing item in list on mobile, when returning to list highlight the item to show what you have just edited (easy to lose place, animated highlight helps show new summary). 3. On closing a drawer, animate the closing so you don't lose view of next item. I loath animations (and I really loath coding them) but I will use them if I think it improves the UI, if they are fast, and I don't use them for "design" (I'm an engineer not a designer!).
- zeta0134 7y ago
  The counter intuitive thing to keep in mind here is that the best animations are subtle, and very quick. There's a balance to strike, but good animation can make the snappy UI give just the tiniest hint of motion and smoothness, without detracting from the experience at all. Animations are meant to be subtle hints to guide the viewers eye, not flashy eye candy. Long animation times are _such_ a common rookie mistake, because the UI dev (or their manager) wants to notice the animation, when in the vast majority of cases, it would be better for the animation to be nearly invisible.
  - tenaciousDaniel 7y ago
    IMO animation should only be used in cases where the change of state is inherently difficult to understand. Animations help users understand what happened after an action.
tellmewhyfirst 7y ago
Fixed! Thank you

ASalazarMX 7y ago

Typo aside, I greatly prefer a stiff, snappy UI. These kinds of animations look nice and smooth at first, but get in the way after a while. I just want to type some text and check a few boxes, not wait for animations to finish so the UI is responsive again.

robocat 7y ago
Some animations really help usability. I use a programme picker that is a poor Netflix clone. Selecting down to the next row is immediate, and selecting right for the next show within a row also immediately jumps. Vertical and horizontal smooth scrolling (a type of animation) would improve the UI (caveat: unless too slow of course).
- orhmeh09 7y ago
  Could you tell me how?
  - robocat 7y ago
    Three animations I have implemented: 1. bounce of badge when message received and badge number increases (no sound). A la Mac. 2. After modality viewing item in list on mobile, when returning to list highlight the item to show what you have just edited (easy to lose place, animated highlight helps show new summary). 3. On closing a drawer, animate the closing so you don't lose view of next item. I loath animations (and I really loath coding them) but I will use them if I think it improves the UI, if they are fast, and I don't use them for "design" (I'm an engineer not a designer!).
zeta0134 7y ago
The counter intuitive thing to keep in mind here is that the best animations are subtle, and very quick. There's a balance to strike, but good animation can make the snappy UI give just the tiniest hint of motion and smoothness, without detracting from the experience at all. Animations are meant to be subtle hints to guide the viewers eye, not flashy eye candy. Long animation times are _such_ a common rookie mistake, because the UI dev (or their manager) wants to notice the animation, when in the vast majority of cases, it would be better for the animation to be nearly invisible.
- tenaciousDaniel 7y ago
  IMO animation should only be used in cases where the change of state is inherently difficult to understand. Animations help users understand what happened after an action.

tellmewhyfirst 7y ago

Fixed! Thank you