What are some tips for creating engaging mobile app animations?

Before you start animating I would recommend you evaluate the benefit of that animation. Is it really needed? What is the benefit to the user? Is it just a transition? Is that important at this stage, or is that delaying the user from getting to where they want to be? Not suggesting you never have animations, just that everything has a purpose and should be put through the lens of what is the benefit to the end user. Not what do stakeholders think is “cool”.

Know your target audience and design animations that resonate with their preferences and expectations. Avoid overly complex animations that may confuse or distract users. Keep animations simple and purposeful. Pay attention to the timing and duration of your animations. Avoid making them too fast or too slow; find a balance that feels natural and responsive. Incorporate realistic motion and physics in your animations to make them feel more natural. This can include subtle bouncing, easing in and out, and other principles of motion.

Animations are a form of storytelling and like all the other techniques it is very important to understand the impact we are trying to make with it. When animating for mobile apps we have to make sure that it's not too little or too much. It has to be enough to convey the message but not too distracting or overpowering the main content. Animations can bring delight and create an engaging moment on a seemingly boring screen. 1. Understood the main purpose 2. Evaluate the technology to implement animation 3. Keep users at the centre to create appropriate contextual animations

Be aware that animations can be very difficult for people with cognitive impairments. Animations should be used rarely and your message shouldn’t not rely solely on an animation unless your application is 100% based on animations. Even then, you should think about how to make your animations accessible to others and the consequences of certain animation effects.

Animation, just like static design is about communication. Information that the user needs to get. To know what you want to communicate, what the user needs to be inform about it's what should direct the animation, timing and style.

I'm not sure if I agree with Principles of animation. I believe in human visual perception. There are factors to keep in mind to know how to play with the visuals in order to trigger our human eyes. When you know how to play the human eye you understand that not everything needs to move. You can make things vibrate by simply applying contrasting colors like Red and Green, Blue on red among many other combinations. I think is not so much about animation principles but more about human eye perception. How you play the Human eye.

A cross-functional training exercise is to study some core fundamentals of video editing. Understanding how small changes in framing and expression can influence the tone of your work, conveying a more holistic message without being intrusive to the viewing experience.

Prioritize Usability: When creating animations, it's essential to keep users at the center of the design. Make sure animations not only align with your audience's preferences but also contribute to the app's overall usability. Avoid animations that can cause confusion or frustration. Test the user experience to ensure that animations add value without compromising the app's effectiveness and ease of use.

The way the animation behaves is just as it looks. Successful animations need to feel natural and easy to follow. Jerky or animations that only lasts for a short amount of time are less successful.

Beyond the interface guidelines of your intended framework, what gestures, brand elements, and thematic overtones come to mind? Finding natural ways to express your animations is important when guiding a user through a new (or repetitive) experience. It is important to not distract them or break the immersion of the moment.

Maintain Thematic Consistency: Visual cohesion is fundamental to the success of animations in mobile applications. Make sure the animations are in line with the overall theme and tone of your app. If the application follows a more minimalist aesthetic, the animations should reflect this simplicity. Likewise, if the application has a more vibrant and dynamic approach, animations should complement this energy. Thematic consistency not only creates a pleasant visual experience, but also strengthens brand identity.

Avoid Unnecessary Animations: Balance is crucial when incorporating animations. Avoid excessive use of movements that may distract or overwhelm users. Unnecessary animations can improve the user experience by making the app less intuitive and more difficult to navigate. Focus on animations that enhance usability and communicate information effectively, maintaining a more minimalist approach whenever possible.

Maintain a consistent animation style throughout your app. This includes the speed, easing, and overall feel of your animations. Consistency helps create a cohesive user experience. Leverage gesture-based animations to enhance the interaction experience. For instance, use swipe or pinch gestures with corresponding animations to make the app feel more intuitive.

Make sure that your animations follow any established branding guidelines or style guide. The animations need to feel like they are cohesive withe the full user experience and not to appear as just bolted on.

Accessibility testing is crucial for ensuring that your mobile app animations are inclusive and cater to a diverse range of users with varying backgrounds, abilities, and mental states. Different individuals perceive and interpret animations differently, so it's essential to consider this diversity during the design process. Understanding your target audience is paramount. In some cases, animations may not be necessary or appreciated by your intended users. Therefore, it's critical to evaluate the relevance of animations for your specific user base.

Testing and refining animations involve ensuring that they not only work seamlessly but also contribute positively to the overall user experience. Here’s how you can approach this, along with examples: —- Performance Testing- for instance- If you have a complex animation for transitioning between screens, test it on various devices with different performance capabilities. Ensure that the animation is smooth and doesn’t cause lag or stuttering, especially on older devices. —- User Feedback- for instance Integrate beta testing or usability testing with real users. Gather feedback on how users perceive the animations. If users find certain animations distracting or too slow, consider refining them based on this input.

How do your animations start, stop, loop, and transition between states? Do you have an empty or idle state that transitions naturally into your animation, or do you "hard transition" into animations? Engineers implementing your designs aren't always as cognizant about bridging the gap between states. Make sure you take the time to review with them in order to have seamless transitions whenever and wherever possible.

Use animations to tell a story or guide users through key features of your app. This can help users understand the functionality and purpose of different elements. Conduct user testing to gather feedback on your app's animations. Pay attention to how users respond to different animations and make adjustments based on their preferences and behavior.

Look for opportunities to have the animations have analytical tagging to help measure adoption. This will help determine if your users are using the animations or not.

To stand out from the crowd in animation, you should think outside the box and never be afraid to try something new. I highly recommend Apple's approach when it comes to engaging animations, they alway try new things different from the rest in the industry! There are some basic rules and pricnciples that everyone follows but that will make your infterface looks identical to others!

Take cues from the natural environment around you (think push / pull vs sliding doors). The beginning, middle, and end of any interaction or animation are only parts of the whole. What came before, and what comes after as just as important - make sure your experiences flow into each other and aren't jarring.