← DictionaryAnimation
also called motion
Designed movement used to guide attention or show change.
Movement with a purpose, not decoration.
What It Is
Animation sits on the Website side of the work, in the Interaction area. Stated plainly: designed movement used to guide attention or show change.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. That is the version worth keeping, because it survives contact with a real project.
How It's Used
In practice, Animation shows up in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It is usually discussed together with Microinteraction, Site Speed and User Experience. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Animation is one of those items that only becomes visible when it is missing. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. It is worth pinning down before anyone builds on top of it.
Think of it as a name on a box. Open the box and this is what is inside: Movement with a purpose, not decoration.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
Practitioners use Animation as shorthand and expect no explanation — designed movement used to guide attention or show change.
Outside the industry, most people would just say: movement with a purpose, not decoration.
The Bottom Line
Treat Animation as a decision, not a description. Movement with a purpose, not decoration.