Wikipedia defines the term animation as “a method in which pictures are manipulated to appear as moving images.” And if the same theory is applied to mobile apps, then it is called in-app animation.
To put it simply, we can say that mobile app animations are the motion elements that help in smooth in-app interactions. The few of the graphic elements in mobile animation includes list bounces, animated buttons, switches, toggles, hover effects, and a few more.
The use of animations in the mobile app offers the app designers an extra cushion through which they fabricate an opportunity to express the brand’s originality to the consumers. Apart from that, mobile app animations tender the following benefits:
- Increases usability
- User interaction
- Saves screen space
- Enhances app usability and more.
However, all that glitters is not gold. If animations are not wisely integrated into the app, it can even backfire and cause unintended damage. Sometimes mobile animation can lead to added loading time and constitute distractions.
To start with, there are primarily five fundamental stages of app design through which an app is subjected:
- Research
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Testing
- Visual design
Once the research work for the app design is initiated, the app designer should weigh the theme, functionalities and the target user audience before integrating the UI animations in an app. It should be done so because every app follows different UI/UX app design guidelines.
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Best Types of UI Animations
As said earlier, every app is different and requires relevant in-app animation trends. We have listed here some of the trending UI animations that app designers can use in their apps.
1. Progress Animations
Many a time, some in-app tasks take time to get completed and this may irk the user. Here the app designer can deploy progress animation, which informs the user about the progress of the task in a more elegant and fun way.
With progress animations, the designers can make use of timelines, progress bars, loaders, and preloaders elements to amuse the user and it further increases the retention rate of the app.
2. Marketing Animations
In-app animations can only come into play once the app marketing is done correctly and to aid it, marketing animations are a promising bet. The few of the components of the marketing animations include:
- Animated mascots
- Animated logos
- Animated branding efforts and more.
The marketing animations finely connects the user and the visual cues of the brand, which considerably increases the chances of overall app usability.
3. Notification Animations
The word notification is understood as it is and with the added aspect of animation, it makes it more exciting and interesting. By blending animation with notification, the app designers can make in-app information lucid and attention-grabbing. And as notifications are sent to customers to gain their attention, the notification animation is one of the best animations to use in an app.
4. Transition Animations
Mobile apps are here for long and we all have witnessed the screen transitions and function changes, which are generally accompanied by buttons and icons. These are part of the transition animations and aren’t limited to in-app activity. If utilized wisely, it can also be used for creating more space between UI elements and data visualization.
Transition animations also improve the mobile app UI, as these transitions are customized as per the user profile or in-app goals.
Design and Animate
Designing is an art and with the availability of animations, it takes designing to a different level altogether. UI animations are an excellent option to navigate users and reduce the cognitive load in a very efficient way.
Also, it helps the app owners to build a connection with the users’ through engaging design. At the same time, the app designers should also keep it in mind that they don’t over-stuff the animated elements in the app, or else, it can increase the load time of the app.
Therefore, to stay in the loop with the latest UI design trends, follow these practices and include the latest in-app animations in the app.
Author Bio:
Twinkle is the product head of MobileAppDaily and keeps a close eye on the latest and trending tech releases. With her wise taste of the tech industry, she has single-handedly created recognizable brand image.
