What are some ways to use animation skills in user experience design?

1 Why animation matters in UX

Animation is not just a cosmetic feature; it can serve a functional purpose and improve the usability, accessibility, and engagement of a digital product. For instance, animation can demonstrate to the user what actions they can take, how to complete them, and what results they can expect. Additionally, animation can provide feedback and confirmation when the user completes a task, makes a mistake, or encounters an error. Moreover, it can guide the user's attention to the most important or relevant elements on the screen, create a smooth transition between different states, screens, or views, and establish a consistent and recognizable identity for the brand or product.

2 How to learn animation skills for UX

If you already have some animation skills from other fields or hobbies, you can apply them to UX design with some adjustments and adaptations. However, if you are new to animation or want to improve your skills, it's important to learn the basic principles of animation, such as timing, easing, spacing, and anticipation. This will help create realistic and expressive animations that suit the context and purpose of the product. It's also beneficial to explore different types of animation, such as motion graphics, 3D animation, character animation, and UI animation. Each type has its own advantages, challenges, and techniques that need to be mastered. Additionally, practice using different tools and software that are commonly used for animation in UX design such as Adobe After Effects, Figma, Sketch, or Protopie. These tools can help create, edit, and export animations compatible with different platforms and devices. Lastly, study the best practices and guidelines for animation in UX design such as how to balance speed, duration, and frequency; how to avoid distracting or annoying the user; and how to test and evaluate the effectiveness of your animations.

3 How to use animation skills in UX projects

Once you have learned the basics of animation for UX design, you can start applying them to real or hypothetical projects. To do this, you should first define the goal and scope of your animation. Consider how it fits into the overall user journey and user interface, as well as how much animation is needed and where it should go. It can be helpful to sketch and storyboard your animation on paper or digitally before jumping into software. This will help you plan the key frames, transitions, and interactions of your animation. You can then create a prototype to test with users or stakeholders, get feedback, identify problems, and refine your animation. Finally, you can implement your animation into the final product and iterate it based on feedback and testing results. Additionally, analytics and metrics can be used to measure the impact and performance of your animation.

4 How to showcase your animation skills in UX portfolio

Creating a portfolio to demonstrate animation skills in UX design is an effective way to attract potential clients, employers, or collaborators. When creating a portfolio, it's important to select the best and most relevant projects that highlight animation skills and how they contribute to the user experience and business goals. Explain your role and responsibilities for each project, including the animation goal, scope, process, tools, and outcomes. To showcase your animation in action, include images, videos, and prototypes that illustrate sketches, storyboards, and final products. Additionally, provide context and feedback about the product, user, and problem as well as testimonials from users or stakeholders that validate your animation's impact.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?