Static design is no longer enough

Designers should learn motion

14th March, 2025 • 5 min read

Motion design is no longer just a nice-to-have – it's a must-have for modern UI design. By incorporating effective motion design strategies into your workflow, you can enhance the user experience, increase engagement, and create a lasting impression on your audience.

It's not just a trend; it’s a natural evolution of how we interact with digital products. Think about it. Every time we scroll, click, or tap, we’re engaging with the interface in a way that feels dynamic. Motion helps guide us through the experience, showing us what’s clickable, highlighting important actions, and signaling where attention is needed. It’s like the subtle cues that make a conversation flow smoothly—without them, everything feels stiff, awkward, and unclear.

But here’s the catch: Many designers are still stuck in the mindset that motion is a luxury or an afterthought. We create screens, pick colors, and finalize typography, and then we think, “Alright, done!” But without motion, we’re leaving a crucial part of the experience on the table. Sure, static design looks good, but motion design feels good. It’s what elevates an experience from functional to memorable.

Over the years, I’ve learned that motion isn’t just about making things look “cool.” It’s about enhancing the experience, clarifying interactions, and adding layers to the narrative of the product. When you animate a button, for example, you’re not just adding some flair; you’re telling the user, “Hey, this is an interactive element.” When elements fade in or out, it’s a subtle cue that something is loading, changing, or being dismissed. Motion makes the experience intuitive.

So, why does all this matter? Well, motion design is more than just a nice-to-have feature. It’s what makes digital products come alive. A lot of leading tech companies utilize motion in interesting ways:

• Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which use animations to highlight new features and interactions.
• Mobile apps like Snapchat, which uses playful, animated effects to create a fun user experience.
• Website animations that guide users through complex flows or highlight key information.

It’s what gives your design a pulse. As we continue to push forward in an increasingly digital world, understanding motion isn’t just a skill for a select few—it’s a necessity. The next time you approach a design, think about how it moves. How it feels. Because in the world of modern design, that’s where the magic happens.