entrance-animations

Entrance Animations

Apply Disney's 12 principles when bringing elements into view.

Principle Application

Squash & Stretch: Scale from 95% to 100% on entry. Elements feel elastic, not rigid.

Anticipation: Start slightly below/smaller than final position. A -10px offset before sliding up creates expectation.

Staging: Enter from the direction of user attention. New list items from the top, modals from center, sidebars from their edge.

Straight Ahead vs Pose-to-Pose: Use pose-to-pose. Define clear start state (invisible, offset) and end state (visible, positioned).

Follow Through & Overlapping: Child elements should lag slightly. Container enters first, content 50-100ms after.

Slow In/Slow Out: Use ease-out for entrances. Fast start, gentle landing: cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1) .

Arcs: Combine Y and X movement. Don't just fade - slide in on a subtle curve.

Secondary Action: Pair fade with scale. Opacity 0→1 while scaling 0.95→1 adds depth.

Timing:

Exaggeration: Scale can start at 0.8 for dramatic effect, 0.95 for subtle polish.

Solid Drawing: Maintain consistent 3D space. Elements entering from "behind" should scale up; from sides should slide.

Appeal: Entrances should feel welcoming. Avoid jarring pops - everything deserves an introduction.

Timing Recommendations

Element Type Duration Easing Delay Pattern

Toast/Alert 150ms ease-out None

Modal 250ms ease-out Content +50ms

Card/Item 200ms ease-out None

List Items 200ms ease-out Stagger 50ms

Page Section 300ms ease-out Stagger 100ms

Hero Content 400ms ease-out Stagger 150ms

Implementation Pattern

.entering { animation: entrance 250ms cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1) forwards; }

@keyframes entrance { from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(10px) scale(0.98); } to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0) scale(1); } }

Stagger Formula

For multiple items: delay = index * 50ms , cap at 500ms total sequence time.

Never exceed 5 items in a stagger sequence without user-initiated action.

Source Transparency