Page Transition Animation Skill

Page Transition Animation

Apply Disney's 12 animation principles to route changes, view transitions, and navigation patterns.

Quick Reference

| Principle | Page Transition Implementation | |-----------|-------------------------------| | Squash & Stretch | Entering page elastic effect | | Anticipation | Exit animation before enter | | Staging | Hero elements bridge views | | Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose | Shared element vs crossfade | | Follow Through / Overlapping | Content settles after nav | | Slow In / Slow Out | Asymmetric enter/exit easing | | Arc | Slide transitions with curve | | Secondary Action | Background, nav state changes | | Timing | 200-500ms total transition | | Exaggeration | Reserved for emphasis moments | | Solid Drawing | Consistent spatial model | | Appeal | Smooth, oriented navigation |

Principle Applications

Squash & Stretch: Incoming pages can have subtle elastic settle. Modal sheets bounce slightly on full open. Pull-to-navigate stretches before triggering.

Anticipation: Current page begins exit before new page enters. Slight fade or scale prepares for change. Navigation indicator updates before page swaps.

Staging: Shared/hero elements maintain context across views. Common elements (nav, footer) stay stable. New content area receives transition focus.

Straight Ahead vs Pose to Pose: Shared element transitions morph continuously (straight ahead). Crossfades swap between discrete states (pose to pose). Choose based on content relationship.

Follow Through & Overlapping: Page content settles after initial position. Staggered content entry—header, then body, then footer. Images load with subtle fade after container.

Slow In / Slow Out: Exit: ease-in (accelerate away). Enter: ease-out (decelerate in). Combined: ease-in-out for shared elements. Never linear—feels broken.

Arc: Slide transitions can curve slightly. Stack navigation implies z-depth. Circular reveals expand from trigger point.

Secondary Action: Header updates title during transition. Bottom nav indicator moves. Background color shifts. Scroll position resets with transition.

Timing: Quick transitions: 200-300ms. Standard: 300-400ms. Complex: 400-500ms. Modal/sheet: 250-350ms. Back navigation often faster than forward.

Exaggeration: Save exaggeration for key moments—onboarding, achievement. Regular navigation should be smooth, not theatrical. Users navigate frequently.

Solid Drawing: Maintain consistent spatial metaphor. If pages stack, maintain z-order. If pages slide, direction should be consistent. Users build mental model from transitions.

Appeal: Transitions should feel helpful, not impressive. Fast, smooth, oriented. Users should understand where they came from and went to.

Transition Patterns

Crossfade (Default)

.page-exit {
    opacity: 1;
}
.page-exit-active {
    opacity: 0;
    transition: opacity 200ms ease-in;
}
.page-enter {
    opacity: 0;
}
.page-enter-active {
    opacity: 1;
    transition: opacity 200ms ease-out;
}

Slide (Hierarchical)

/* Forward navigation */
.page-enter {
    transform: translateX(100%);
}
.page-enter-active {
    transform: translateX(0);
    transition: transform 300ms ease-out;
}
.page-exit-active {
    transform: translateX(-30%);
    transition: transform 300ms ease-in;
}

/* Back navigation - reversed */
.page-enter {
    transform: translateX(-30%);
}
.page-exit-active {
    transform: translateX(100%);
}

Shared Element (Hero)

// View Transitions API
document.startViewTransition(() => {
    updateDOM();
});

// CSS for specific element
.hero-image {
    view-transition-name: hero;
}
::view-transition-old(hero),
::view-transition-new(hero) {
    animation-duration: 300ms;
}

Timing Reference

| Transition Type | Duration | Exit | Enter | |----------------|----------|------|-------| | Crossfade | 200-300ms | ease-in | ease-out | | Slide forward | 300-400ms | ease-in | ease-out | | Slide back | 250-350ms | ease-in | ease-out | | Modal open | 250-350ms | — | ease-out | | Modal close | 200-300ms | ease-in | — | | Shared element | 300-400ms | n/a | ease-in-out | | Tab switch | 150-200ms | instant | ease-out |

Navigation Patterns

| Pattern | Transition | Direction | |---------|------------|-----------| | Drill-down (list→detail) | Slide left / shared element | Right = forward | | Tab bar | Fade / slide | Horizontal | | Bottom sheet | Slide up | Vertical | | Modal | Scale + fade | Z-axis | | Back button | Reverse of forward | Left = back |

Performance

Use transform and opacity only
Hardware acceleration: will-change: transform
Reduce motion: instant transitions
Test on slow devices—transitions must not block
View Transitions API: native performance

Agent Skills: Page Transition Animation

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