Ambient Animations In Web Design: Practical Applications (Part 2) - Smashing Magazine

"Ambient animations are the kind of passive movements you might not notice at first. However, they bring a design to life in subtle ways. Elements might subtly transition between colours, move slowly, or gradually shift position. Elements can appear and disappear, change size, or they could rotate slowly, adding depth to a brand's personality. In Part 1, I illustrated the concept of ambient animations by recreating the cover of a Quick Draw McGraw comic book as a CSS/SVG animation."

"Reuven's classical and jazz background reminded me of the work of album cover designer Alex Steinweiss. I was inspired by the depth and texture that Alex brought to his designs for over 2,500 unique covers, and I wanted to incorporate his techniques into my illustrations for Reuven. To bring Reuven's illustrations to life, I followed a few core ambient animation principles: Keep animations slow and smooth. Loop seamlessly and avoid abrupt changes. Use layering to build complexity. Avoid distractions. Consider accessibility and performance."

Ambient animations are subtle, slow-moving movements that add atmosphere and personality to website designs without stealing attention. Subtle transitions can include colour shifts, slow movement, gradual position changes, appearing and disappearing, resizing, or slow rotation to add depth. An early example recreated a Quick Draw McGraw comic cover as a CSS/SVG animation. Three projects, Reuven Herman, Mike Worth, and EPD, demonstrate ambient motion enhancing brand identity and storytelling across different contexts. Principles for effective ambient animation include keeping motion slow and smooth, looping seamlessly, layering complexity, avoiding distraction, and considering accessibility and performance.

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