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:
- Quick entrances: 150-200ms (toasts, tooltips)
- Standard entrances: 200-300ms (modals, cards)
- Dramatic reveals: 300-500ms (hero sections, page transitions)
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.