Source: Dribbble
Animations on the web are useful in a wide variety of situations. In this article, we will analyze why they are specifically needed, and which tools for creating animated websites should be used in 2020.
Why do we need animations on websites: increasing conversion, storytelling, optimization
On a website, animations can solve a number of specific problems. One of them is filling in the time that the user needs to wait for the page to load. Looking at a static page is not as interesting as looking at a beautiful animation. As a result, those users who could leave the site remain on it - and as a result, the conversion grows.
Also, animations can be used to greet and create the desired mood - for example, background videos are suitable for this. In addition, animations are great for storytelling - they can quickly tell a story or show how a product works without a lot of pictures and text.
Another important task of animations is that they make the site more user-friendly and optimize interactions with the web page. For example, a carousel with pictures is much more convenient than a long list of pictures with captions. In turn, animated side menus can provide an opportunity to immediately get more information, for example, about a product, without having to scroll.
And of course, animations are great for providing visual feedback to users - all kinds of warnings, error messages become more noticeable and understandable.
With the main use cases for animations sorted out, now let's move on to an overview of useful tools for creating them.
Slides : a framework for creating animations without code
This service with a free version helps you create entire animated websites. It allows you to develop animated templates in literally minutes. It works like this - the user can assemble his animated design using a library of ready-made elements. For example, a framework includes the following elements:
- panels
- sliders
- dialog boxes
- sidebars
- dropdown menus
- contact forms
- navigation elements
- pop-ups
- buttons
The framework allows you to create animations using HTML, CSS and JS - you just need to copy the generated code and embed it on the site.
Express Animate : Create Video Animations
This tool allows you to generate animations and special effects for videos. These videos can then be embedded in web pages. Projects can be exported in HTML5, flash or GIF format. With this tool you can create special
Koolmoves elements : create animations and flash transcoding
This tool allows you to create HTML5 animations for applying effects on an image, animating navigation elements, creating slideshows, and more. The end result can be exported to HTML5, GIF, MP4 / AVI. Koolmoves also allows you to convert flash animations to more modern formats.
AnimateMate : a plugin for Sketch
Sketch is a powerful tool, sometimes too powerful. This is very much felt in situations where you need to create a simple animation and not spend a lot of time on it. With this plugin, you can quickly create simple animations and export them directly from Sketch.
Now let's look at a few more libraries that are good at solving narrowly focused tasks in creating animations.
WAIT! Animate : creating pauses in CSS animations
This tool solves a specific problem - calculating the ideal pause between the end of the animation and its restart. CSS doesn't provide easy ways to pause like this, so WAIT! Animate turns out to be an unexpectedly useful tool.
Granim.js : working with gradients in animations
This JS library allows you to create beautiful interactive animations. Great for creating background images with varying gradients.
iTyped : text animation
Another JavaScript library that animates the printing process beautifully. Moreover, there are no unnecessary dependencies here, which makes it easier to use.
Conclusion
Animations on the web not only serve to improve the look of a website. They perform many specific tasks that make life easier for users, increase the quality of interaction with the site and, as a result, conversion. Using animations wisely with the right tools can be a great solution to improve your website's performance.
Do you know any other useful tools for working with animations on the web? Leave links in the comments.