Using animation with purpose in web design

web design manchester

Designing a website that can effectively grab attention, and keep your users interest is essential if your business is to succeed online. The digital world is full of distractions that can tear your potential customers away in an instant. And you need to use a variety of web design techniques, as well as up to date research and data, to help make your website successful. Animation can be very effective for a range of purposes across your website. But what is the purpose of animation in web design? And how can this be useful?

What are the different options for using animation with purpose in web design?

Animation in web design is all about making subtle movements or changes that can draw attention, as well as being used for a functional practical purpose. So while animated content above the fold might look great, it also generally has a more practical purpose too. So, how can animated content serve a functional purpose? Well, there are a number of important uses for animated content, including:

  • Calm users nerves- so you clicked the “checkout” button, but nothings happened. Do you click it again, and risk being charged twice? Or do you wait? And if you do wait, how long do you wait until you can decide it’s broken? These decisions cause your users anxiety. Which in turn, can put them off purchasing from your website at all. To help calm those nerves, why not add in a tasteful load animation? This can show the users exactly how far through the process is, and also shows that their request is being processed.
  • Draw attention to your page and products- many people don’t realise that an automated slideshow is actually a piece of animated content.  Consider the hero image on your landing page. If you turn this image into a scrolling gallery of your professional, high quality images, the simple movement between slides is guaranteed to draw more website visitors into your website. And it also helps you show off more features and products.
  • Guide users through the website- when a user’s cursor hovers over a link, or a call to action button, you can make a subtle animation to draw attention to this. From changing the shade of the element, to using a small bounce or float animation, there are endless design choices you can make. And any subtle animation you apply, will draw the users eye, and help guide your potential customer, through the purchasing process. However, be careful to keep this animation subtle and understated. In this case, less is always more. In addition, its important to note that any hover animations will not be useful for mobile users.

Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. We work with companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area, including Wigan and Southport, to provide web design solutions that can help businesses grow. For more information and advice, get in touch with Manchester’s leading web design professionals today.