Calm & Relaxation Animation
Create animations that soothe, settle, and create peaceful user experiences.
Emotional Goal
Calm emerges from slow, gentle, predictable motion. Relaxation comes from animations that breathe, flow naturally, and never demand attention or create tension.
Disney Principles for Calm
Squash & Stretch
Very subtle (2-5%). Gentle breathing or pulsing rather than bouncing. Soft, organic deformation like clouds or water.
Anticipation
Long, gradual preparation (200-400ms). Slow builds create no surprises. Everything telegraphed well in advance.
Staging
Soft focus, ambient positioning. No aggressive attention-grabbing. Elements share space harmoniously without competition.
Straight Ahead Action
Gentle, organic flow for ambient animations. Drifting clouds, floating particles, subtle gradients—natural randomness.
Follow Through & Overlapping Action
Extended, graceful follow-through. Long settling times (500ms+). Elements drift to rest like leaves on water.
Slow In & Slow Out
Heavy easing on both ends. Very gradual acceleration and deceleration. cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.6, 1) for smooth, gentle motion.
Arc
Wide, sweeping curves. Gentle parabolas. Motion should flow like water or wind—never angular or abrupt.
Secondary Action
Ambient, background motion. Subtle parallax, gentle floating elements. Supporting motion that doesn't demand attention.
Timing
Slow and deliberate (400-800ms+). Long durations feel meditative. No quick movements. Breathing rhythm: 4-6 seconds per cycle.
Exaggeration
Minimal to none. Realistic, natural movements. Subtlety is calming; exaggeration creates tension.
Solid Drawing
Soft edges, rounded forms. No sharp angles. Organic shapes that feel natural and comfortable.
Appeal
Soft colors, low contrast. Gentle gradients. Rounded shapes. Natural, organic aesthetics.
Timing Recommendations
| Element | Duration | Easing |
|---------|----------|--------|
| Fade transitions | 400-600ms | ease-in-out |
| Floating elements | 3000-5000ms | ease-in-out |
| Breathing pulse | 4000-6000ms | ease-in-out |
| Parallax drift | 800-1200ms | ease-out |
CSS Easing
--calm-gentle: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.6, 1);
--calm-float: cubic-bezier(0.37, 0, 0.63, 1);
--calm-breathe: cubic-bezier(0.45, 0, 0.55, 1);
Breathing Animation
@keyframes calm-breathe {
0%, 100% {
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 0.8;
}
50% {
transform: scale(1.02);
opacity: 1;
}
}
.breathing-element {
animation: calm-breathe 5s ease-in-out infinite;
}
When to Use
- Meditation and wellness apps
- Loading states for long processes
- Ambient backgrounds
- Reading experiences
- Night mode transitions
- Healthcare interfaces
- Onboarding welcome screens
- Success states that don't need celebration