Motion is one of the fastest ways to give a website personality, and one of the fastest ways to make it tiring. The difference is usually restraint: fewer moving parts, shorter durations and a clear reason for every transition.

Motion should explain

A good transition shows where something came from or where it went. A subtle lift on a card says it can be opened. A short fade on a heading says the page has settled. Anything that moves without explaining something is decoration.

Respect the reader

Keep entrance animations under a second, never block reading while something animates, and always honor reduced-motion preferences. The best motion is felt more than it is noticed.