Motion Design
The use of animation and transitions in an interface to guide attention, explain change, and give a product a sense of life and quality.
Motion design applies animation with intent: a menu that slides in to show where it came from, a number that counts up to draw the eye, a loader that keeps a wait feeling short. Purposeful motion explains what changed and why, reducing the cognitive cost of a moving interface.
The line between delight and distraction is thin. Effective motion is fast, consistent, and respects reduced-motion preferences — it supports the interaction rather than showing off. Overused, animation slows people down and cheapens the product.
Learn more
Related terms
Interaction DesignDesigning the moment-to-moment behavior of an interface — how it responds to input, transitions between states, and gives feedback.UI DesignThe craft of the visual and interactive surface of a product — layout, type, color, spacing, and components users see and touch.PrototypingBuilding an interactive, clickable model of a product so a flow can be experienced and tested before it is engineered.