Lottie By AirBnB Driving The Motion Design Revolution

Nomathole Ntshingila is the Copywriter and Community Manager at Arc Interactive. Today she gives us insight into why animation is important for app design and how the Lottie open-source project is driving the adoption of animation in apps.

It’s said that motion design is like the bass player in a band, you don’t notice them right away, but you definitely know something isn’t right when they’re not there. This same feeling is why animation in UI has become such a necessity.

With the rise of digital consciousness, users now want a full-bodied experience from their apps- something that makes them feel good about the time they’re spending on their devices. So here’s our look at why animation should be on your design priority list, and one app we love for making this process seamless.

Setting the tone

Animations can be used to create a motion language that reflects the personality of not just the app, but the brand at large. Think lightweight, fun designs versus smooth, professional ones. Aligning the tone of the UI and animations to that of the brand can leave a long lasting impression while strengthening the values and voice of the brand.

Seamless flow

One thing that can make or break any app is how seamlessly the user is able to navigate the app, which informs the user experience. When motion design is considered from a human element perspective as opposed to the “machine” perspective, the creation of intuitive animations, as well as seamless and effortless UI, is made possible.

The art of illusion

When implemented well, good motion design adds a “smoke and mirrors” effect that creates the illusion of time well spent in the app. Generic loading screens are being replaced with interactive and fun animations that distract the user from latency resolved within the same amount of time it takes for the animation to play out. This is a great way to load assets without users noticing.

Introducing: Lottie

Motion design as we know it has been around for some time and isn’t new, but what we’re starting to see is innovation around how animations are created and shared. Lottie, released by Airbnb Design, is at the forefront of what we’ll call a revolution for the way it’s turned what used to be a lengthy and a daunting task for engineers, into a quick, smooth creative process thanks to real-time rendering and an open-source library that allows for seamless collaboration. This kind of innovation in motion design and animation opens up the industry and sets the precedent for the future.

Companies like Google, The New York Times as well as Uber have all contributed to what has now become a design community and shared how they’re using Lottie to make their apps more engaging for users. By having released Lottie as an open source project, the creators have allowed room for online collaboration between designers and engineers who otherwise, might have never gotten the opportunity to work together.

Besides the functionality of the app, the sense of community and knowledge-sharing that Lottie encourages is what we love most about it. In the end, the only way to push each other forward in our industry is to work together.

About the author

Noma is a screenwriting student turned digital copywriter, with a passion for social media andamp; storytelling across different mediums. Things she loves doing outside of her work are blogging, poetry, events photography, and most of all, enjoying coffee tasting sessions at my favourite roastery in Rosebank (She's also an ex-barista and makes a mean cup of java).

For more information on motion design or what Noma is up to these days visit: www.arcinteractive.co Or follow Arc Interactive on:

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