animation-design

name: animation-design description: Create best-in-class animations using intent-aligned motion systems. Use this skill when adding motion, animations, transitions, or micro-interactions to any frontend code. Follows animation governance from docs/references/animations.md with timing, easing, and transforms aligned to emotional intent (calm, trust, premium, playful). References Linear, Stripe, Apple, Figma, IBM, Porsche for premium motion. license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt

Animation Design

Create best-in-class animations using intent-aligned motion systems. Aligns with docs/references/animations.md and docs/rules/Core Design Rules.md.

Core Principle: Animation is not decoration — it is a structural amplifier.

Design Philosophy

Animation Reference Matrix

By Emotion Profile

Deterministic Animation Rules (from docs/references/animations.md)

1. Duration Discipline

2. Motion Frequency Limit

animated_elements_per_viewport <= 5

3. Transform Boundaries

scale <= 1.05
translateY <= 16px
rotation <= 2deg (rarely used)

4. Easing Consistency

Single easing family per emotion profile:

• Calm → ease-in-out
• Playful → spring physics
• Enterprise → cubic-bezier(.4, 0, .2, 1)

Premium Motion References

Linear — Precision & Polish

• 150-200ms durations
• Consistent easing
• Minimal transform distance
• No exaggerated scale
• Ideal for: Premium SaaS, calm emotion profiles

Stripe — System Feedback

• Fade + slight translate combo
• Controlled opacity transitions
• No aggressive spinners
• Ideal for: Checkout flows, loading states

Apple — Scroll-Driven

• Section-by-section reveal pacing
• Controlled parallax depth
• Progressive disclosure
• Ideal for: Storytelling, product pages

Figma — Playful

• Micro bounce
• Spring physics
• Small scale (<1.05)
• Ideal for: Creative tools, playful brands

IBM — Enterprise

• 200-250ms fades
• Slide under 8px
• No elastic bounce
• Ideal for: Enterprise dashboards

Porsche — Luxury

• 300-500ms fades
• Subtle scaling (1.02 max)
• Delayed reveal sequencing
• Ideal for: Premium brands

Implementation Patterns

CSS-Only Micro-Interactions

/* Button hover — Light mode */
.btn:hover {
  filter: brightness(0.95);
  transition: filter 150ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}

/* Button hover — Dark mode */
[data-theme="dark"] .btn:hover {
  filter: brightness(1.1);
  transition: filter 150ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}

/* Active/Pressed */
.btn:active {
  transform: scale(0.98);
  transition: transform 100ms ease-out;
}

/* Focus ring */
.btn:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--color-primary);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

Page Load Reveal

/* Staggered reveal */
.fade-in {
  opacity: 0;
  animation: fadeIn 300ms ease-out forwards;
}

@keyframes fadeIn {
  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(8px); }
  to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }
}

/* Delay sequence */
.fade-in:nth-child(1) { animation-delay: 0ms; }
.fade-in:nth-child(2) { animation-delay: 50ms; }
.fade-in:nth-child(3) { animation-delay: 100ms; }
.fade-in:nth-child(4) { animation-delay: 150ms; }
.fade-in:nth-child(5) { animation-delay: 200ms; }

Loading States

/* Skeleton pulse */
.skeleton {
  background: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    var(--color-surface-1) 0%,
    var(--color-surface-2) 50%,
    var(--color-surface-1) 100%
  );
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: shimmer 1.5s infinite;
}

@keyframes shimmer {
  0% { background-position: 200% 0; }
  100% { background-position: -200% 0; }
}

Modal/Dialog

.modal-backdrop {
  animation: fadeIn 200ms ease-out;
}

.modal-content {
  animation: slideUp 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
}

@keyframes slideUp {
  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(16px) scale(0.98); }
  to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0) scale(1); }
}

Sidebar Navigation

.sidebar-item {
  transition: background-color 150ms ease, transform 100ms ease;
}

.sidebar-item:hover {
  background-color: var(--color-surface-2);
}

.sidebar-item:active {
  transform: scale(0.98);
}

Reduced Motion Support (Accessibility)

ALWAYS include: Respect prefers-reduced-motion

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  *, *::before, *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

What to AVOID

• Dribbble-heavy parallax chaos
• 20 animated elements on load
• Auto-playing everything
• High-frequency bouncing
• Random durations exceeding 500ms
• Scale > 1.05
• Translate > 16px
• Pure black (#000) backgrounds with neon accents

Animation Governance Checklist

Before shipping any animation:

• Duration fits type (120-500ms max)
• Elements per viewport <= 5
• Easing consistent with emotion profile
• Transform within bounds
• Reduced motion supported
• No autoplay without user consent
• Dark mode tested
• Performance: 60fps target

Performance in Electron

Animations in Electron/Chromium:

• Heavy animations = real CPU hit
• Use transform and opacity only
• Avoid layout-triggering properties
• Test on lower-end hardware

For complete reference, see: docs/references/animations.md, docs/references/lottie.md, docs/rules/Core Design Rules.md