Motion Design in Web: When to Use It (and When Not To)
A quick guide to using motion tastefully without hurting performance or usability.
Motion design has become one of the most powerful tools in modern UI. When used correctly, it guides attention, improves clarity, and makes products feel polished. But when misused, it slows down interactions, hurts performance, and distracts users. This article explains exactly when to use motion—and when to avoid it.
1. Use motion to guide user attention
Motion is most effective when it helps users understand what just happened or what they should do next.
Examples:
• A button expanding slightly after click (confirmation) • A dropdown sliding open (context) • A modal fading in (focus) • A toast appearing from the bottom (notification)
Good motion clarifies purpose, not decorates the UI.
2. Use animation to reinforce hierarchy
Motion can visually separate primary and secondary actions.
Examples:
• Primary buttons animate slightly stronger • Cards lift subtly on hover • Important elements appear earlier in timed sequences
These microinteractions help users instantly understand what is interactive.
3. Avoid motion that slows interaction
Animations longer than 200–300ms feel slow. They create friction and make interfaces feel unresponsive.
Avoid:
• Slow modal opening • Heavy page transitions • Dramatic button animations • Long-loading skeleton screens
Users should never wait for animation to finish before they can act.
4. Motion must never hurt performance
Overusing motion increases GPU usage and lowers FPS, especially on low-end devices.
To stay performant:
• Animate opacity & transform only • Avoid animating layout (top, left, width) • Keep animations under 300ms • Prefer CSS over JS
Modern UI is smooth because it is lightweight, not because it is flashy.
5. Motion must remain accessible
Motion affects users differently. Some users experience dizziness, nausea, or distraction from excessive animation.
Best practices:
• Respect `prefers-reduced-motion` • Avoid parallax effects unless optional • Remove continuous background animations • Provide calm transitions
Accessibility requires designing for both motion-preferring and motion-sensitive users.
6. Use motion to show cause & effect
Motion is at its best when it visually explains the result of an interaction.
Examples:
• Toggling a switch animates the handle • Drag-and-drop items smoothly follow the cursor • A tab underline slides to the active tab
This teaches users how the interface behaves without reading instructions.
7. Avoid motion that draws attention away from content
The purpose of UI is to support content—not compete with it.
Avoid:
• Aggressive transitions • Looping animations near text • Color-shifting gradients • Flashy scroll-triggered effects
If the motion becomes the center of attention, it fails.
Final thoughts
Motion design should be functional, subtle, and purposeful. When used thoughtfully, it creates delightful, intuitive interactions that enhance the user experience. When overused, it becomes visual noise. At OpenMeta, we design motion that guides rather than distracts—always prioritizing clarity, performance, and accessibility.