Motion that does not lie about state

Animation is a status message. If a card flies in after the data is already there, we taught the user to wait for theatre. We animate only state changes: enter, exit, loading, error, success.

Duration and easing are part of the system, not a per-screen jam session. One entrance, one exit, one spring for interactive objects. Designers pick from the list.

Respect the OS

prefers-reduced-motion is not optional. Instant opacity is a valid, premium feel. We ship that path on every marketing surface, not as a later accessibility ticket.

If the meaning of the interface depends on motion, the interface is broken for someone. We never encode 'you may proceed' only as a slide.

Motion as documentation

A spinner that never resolves is a lie. We cap waits, show skeletons that match layout, and fail visibly. Honesty is faster than delight that stalls.

When motion tells the truth about state, it earns the right to be beautiful. Not the other way around.