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Design and implement microinteractions, motion design, transitions, and user feedback patterns. Use when adding polish to UI interactions, implementing loading states, or creating delightful user experiences.
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Interaction Design
Create engaging, intuitive interactions through motion, feedback, and thoughtful state transitions that enhance usability and delight users.
When to Use This Skill
Adding microinteractions to enhance user feedback
Implementing smooth page and component transitions
Designing loading states and skeleton screens
Creating gesture-based interactions
Building notification and toast systems
Implementing drag-and-drop interfaces
Adding scroll-triggered animations
Designing hover and focus states
Core Principles
1. Purposeful Motion
Motion should communicate, not decorate:
Feedback : Confirm user actions occurred
Orientation : Show where elements come from/go to
Focus : Direct attention to important changes
Continuity : Maintain context during transitions
2. Timing Guidelines
Duration Use Case 100-150ms Micro-feedback (hovers, clicks) 200-300ms Small transitions (toggles, dropdowns) 300-500ms Medium transitions (modals, page changes) 500ms+ Complex choreographed animations
3. Easing Functions
/* Common easings */
--ease-out: cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1); /* Decelerate - entering */
--ease-in: cubic-bezier(0.55, 0, 1, 0.45); /* Accelerate - exiting */
--ease-in-out: cubic-bezier(0.65, 0, 0.35, 1); /* Both - moving between */
--spring: cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1); /* Overshoot - playful */
Quick Start: Button Microinteraction import { motion } from "framer-motion";
export function InteractiveButton({ children, onClick }) {
return (
<motion.button
onClick={onClick}
whileHover={{ scale: 1.02 }}
whileTap={{ scale: 0.98 }}
transition={{ type: "spring", stiffness: 400, damping: 17 }}
className="px-4 py-2 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded-lg"
>
{children}
</motion.button>
);
}
Interaction Patterns
1. Loading States Skeleton Screens : Preserve layout while loading
function CardSkeleton() {
return (
<div className="animate-pulse">
<div className="h-48 bg-gray-200 rounded-lg" />
<div className="mt-4 h-4 bg-gray-200 rounded w-3/4" />
<div className="mt-2 h-4 bg-gray-200 rounded w-1/2" />
</div>
);
}
Progress Indicators : Show determinate progress
function ProgressBar({ progress }: { progress: number }) {
return (
<div className="h-2 bg-gray-200 rounded-full overflow-hidden">
<motion.div
className="h-full bg-blue-600"
initial={{ width: 0 }}
animate={{ width: `${progress}%` }}
transition={{ ease: "easeOut" }}
/>
</div>
);
}
2. State Transitions Toggle with smooth transition :
function Toggle({ checked, onChange }) {
return (
<button
role="switch"
aria-checked={checked}
onClick={() => onChange(!checked)}
className={`
relative w-12 h-6 rounded-full transition-colors duration-200
${checked ? "bg-blue-600" : "bg-gray-300"}
`}
>
<motion.span
className="absolute top-1 left-1 w-4 h-4 bg-white rounded-full shadow"
animate={{ x: checked ? 24 : 0 }}
transition={{ type: "spring", stiffness: 500, damping: 30 }}
/>
</button>
);
}
3. Page Transitions Framer Motion layout animations :
import { AnimatePresence, motion } from "framer-motion";
function PageTransition({ children, key }) {
return (
<AnimatePresence mode="wait">
<motion.div
key={key}
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
exit={{ opacity: 0, y: -20 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.3 }}
>
{children}
</motion.div>
</AnimatePresence>
);
}
4. Feedback Patterns function RippleButton({ children, onClick }) {
const [ripples, setRipples] = useState([]);
const handleClick = (e) => {
const rect = e.currentTarget.getBoundingClientRect();
const ripple = {
x: e.clientX - rect.left,
y: e.clientY - rect.top,
id: Date.now(),
};
setRipples((prev) => [...prev, ripple]);
setTimeout(() => {
setRipples((prev) => prev.filter((r) => r.id !== ripple.id));
}, 600);
onClick?.(e);
};
return (
<button onClick={handleClick} className="relative overflow-hidden">
{children}
{ripples.map((ripple) => (
<span
key={ripple.id}
className="absolute bg-white/30 rounded-full animate-ripple"
style={{ left: ripple.x, top: ripple.y }}
/>
))}
</button>
);
}
5. Gesture Interactions function SwipeCard({ children, onDismiss }) {
return (
<motion.div
drag="x"
dragConstraints={{ left: 0, right: 0 }}
onDragEnd={(_, info) => {
if (Math.abs(info.offset.x) > 100) {
onDismiss();
}
}}
className="cursor-grab active:cursor-grabbing"
>
{children}
</motion.div>
);
}
CSS Animation Patterns
Keyframe Animations @keyframes fadeIn {
from {
opacity: 0;
transform: translateY(10px);
}
to {
opacity: 1;
transform: translateY(0);
}
}
@keyframes pulse {
0%,
100% {
opacity: 1;
}
50% {
opacity: 0.5;
}
}
@keyframes spin {
to {
transform: rotate(360deg);
}
}
.animate-fadeIn {
animation: fadeIn 0.3s ease-out;
}
.animate-pulse {
animation: pulse 2s ease-in-out infinite;
}
.animate-spin {
animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
}
CSS Transitions .card {
transition:
transform 0.2s ease-out,
box-shadow 0.2s ease-out;
}
.card:hover {
transform: translateY(-4px);
box-shadow: 0 12px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
Accessibility Considerations /* Respect user motion preferences */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
*,
*::before,
*::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}
function AnimatedComponent() {
const prefersReducedMotion = window.matchMedia(
"(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)",
).matches;
return (
<motion.div
animate={{ opacity: 1 }}
transition={{ duration: prefersReducedMotion ? 0 : 0.3 }}
/>
);
}
Best Practices
Performance First : Use transform and opacity for smooth 60fps
Reduce Motion Support : Always respect prefers-reduced-motion
Consistent Timing : Use a timing scale across the app
Natural Physics : Prefer spring animations over linear
Interruptible : Allow users to cancel long animations
Progressive Enhancement : Work without JS animations
Test on Devices : Performance varies significantly
Common Issues
Janky Animations : Avoid animating width, height, top, left
Over-animation : Too much motion causes fatigue
Blocking Interactions : Never prevent user input during animations
Memory Leaks : Clean up animation listeners on unmount
Flash of Content : Use will-change sparingly for optimization
Resources