Could Micro Animations Be a Web Design Trend in 2023?

What you need to know

Micro animations are simple, small, functional animations which provide visual feedback and help users see changes on websites displayed more clearly.They offer more personalisation to your brand offering more depth and reliability to your business.

Animation has traditionally been associated with entertainment, from Walt Disney productions to Pixar movies. However, animation in advertising has become more popular as time goes on…

Did you know that animation has become key to building brand loyalty and customer engagement?

This is because it helps communicate complicated business concepts to consumers and creates strong, lasting impressions that help your company stand out.

So, how important are micro animations in the world of advertising? And, should you be using them in 2023?

Micro animations are fast becoming an important part of marketing. They allow the user to interact with content and also increase engagement.

In this article, you will find out everything you need to know about micro animations, how to use them, and why they are one of the most exciting web design trends for 2023.

What Are Micro Animations

To put it simply, micro animations are small motions that bring together different parts of the design. With the right micro animations in web design, you can improve the user experience with a few small changes…

That being said, micro animation is slightly different from micro-interactions. Unlike animations that bring different parts together, micro-interactions have a single aim. They are found all over your device.

Think of it this way; the micro-interaction is what the user experiences. Whereas the animation is how it looks visually. It might be a small difference, but it is important to know about it.

Not only are micro animations great for helping users through your site, but they also produce an emotional reaction. This makes your design more interesting to the user.

If you can relate to the images and interact with them, it makes you feel more connected to the brand. This is especially important with the rise of socially responsible marketing.

Now, you might be wondering, why should you use micro animations? And, will they help your business?

Benefits of Micro Animations

Let’s take a look at some reasons why you need to use micro animations and the benefits they can bring to your business…

Not only do they make your design look more beautiful, but they provide functional benefits that will make your site easier to navigate.

1) Better Focus

Web design is all about helping the user navigate the site with as little effort as possible. It should be like reading a book. You want to take your viewer on a journey, and for that to happen, the design needs to be perfect.

You want it to be smooth and intuitive. The best way to improve user interaction is with micro animations. They provide better focus and can make boring content seem more exciting!

This is particularly true when it comes to statistics or graphs. It doesn’t need to be complicated, but adding some movement into your design can bring the site to life.

2) Visual Guide

Sometimes a web design can be overwhelming and confusing. This can put the user off scrolling more and finding out information about a brand. So, how do you avoid this?

Well, micro animations can help guide the user across the screen and onto the most important information. You can strategically place animations over certain text to emphasise what you want the user to see.

This helps draw more attention to your site and keeps people reading for longer!

3) Communication

As well as acting as a guide, micro animations are also good for communicating with the user. For instance, if a page is loading or frozen, a micro animation appears to inform the user.

This prevents people from getting frustrated and impatient. Did you know that the average person reads an article in 55 seconds?

So, time is precious, and this is essential for great UI/UX design. People want to understand what is happening at all times when visiting a site, and micro animations ensure they have all the information they need.

This helps build trust and, therefore, improves brand loyalty.

How to Make Micro Animations That Work

If you are interested in using micro animations, there are a few basic rules to follow when it comes to making your animation stand out and be effective on users.

The first thing to consider is simplicity.

Simplicity

You have to remember that micro animations are meant to make the user experience easier, not more confusing. It can be easy to get carried away with web design elements, but you should not overcomplicate it.

Keep it simple.

Otherwise, they could make the design more complex and therefore too busy for people to read through. Just make the design simple and nice to look at.

A good rule to remember is that the animation should be less than half a second. So, think carefully about what you want it to say and look like!

Practicality

Although micro animations are added to your overall appearance and make it look more attractive, only use them for practical reasons. They should add to the function of your design, so do not just add them anywhere.

A simple way to make sure you are adding animations in the right place is asking yourself the questions, “Does this make it easier to navigate? Does this deliver the message I want?”…

That way, there’s no danger of overusing them or distracting the user from important information.

Be Innovative

Of course, like any design element, it should not be generic. That means you need to get creative with the design.

It is essential that the micro animation is fun, or it will not catch the attention of the user. Plus, the animation conveys the tone of your brand, so you want to make sure it’s interesting and fun.

Most of the time, micro animations are one of the first areas of your design that someone will see. They set the tone straight away, so you need to ensure that it stands out!

Finding the balance is key to making the best micro animations.

But, how else can you improve a micro animation design?

Thoughtful Design Tips

There are a few other ways to help you create appealing micro animations. For instance, you want to consider ways to surprise your user and keep them intrigued with the design.

Firstly, you want to be mindful of the user and what sort of experience you are trying to create…

Think of Your User

You need to ask yourself, “What will the user be looking for?”, “How will they find the information they need?”, and “Is this engaging?”…

Design is about more than just creating the right interface; you want to make sure that you are appealing to the needs of the user. You also want to empathise with their situation, so they feel comforted.

This helps them feel at ease if they run into problems with the design.

Make Them Fun

Animation is associated with entertainment, so using micro animations for marketing purposes should also be fun!

You don’t want the user to be bored. If they become disinterested, then they will stop scrolling, and you might lose business.

Therefore, if you have fun creating them, then users will have fun using them!

Be Human

Another one of 2023 web design trends is personalisation. Brands are moving towards more personal marketing in order to connect better with their community.

Therefore, micro animations are a great way to add a human touch to your design. They allow users to feel more in control and active in their decision making which leads to better conversion rates.

Now, you might be wondering, how else can you add personalisation into your marketing?

A few other ways to make your marketing more personal is:

• Celebrate your employees on social media
• Use brand ambassadors
• Focus on community management
• Personalise emails
• Send welcome letters to new customers
• Write about personal experiences
• Don’t be shy to share failures as well as success

Not only do micro animations help add more personalisation to your brand, but they add more depth and reliability to your business.

As consumers have become more conscious about their spending habits, people are spending more time looking for ethical and thoughtful brands. That means that you want your brand to be transparent…

By using micro animations, and other personalised elements, your users will feel more trust and be willing to invest their time further into your business.

Even though the world is changing and most of our time is spent online, that doesn’t mean that we should forget there are humans on the other side.

Animate Your Design With Care

Micro animations will become crucial to user experience and improving engagement rates, so implementing them now into your business will help you stand out from the crowd.

With increasing competitiveness in business marketing, every little helps your company, and every micro animation helps even more.

Looking for website designers? Then, get in touch with Wots The Big Idea to find out how to create amazing micro animations with care…

Because caring is not just about choosing the right words. It’s about showing and telling. Both are key to success in the business world.