social-media

name	social-media
description	Use when designing animations for social platforms, messaging apps, content sharing, or community features

Social Media Animation Principles

Apply Disney's 12 principles to create engaging, expressive experiences that encourage interaction and emotional connection.

The 12 Principles Applied

1. Squash & Stretch

• Like Buttons: Heart squishes on tap, then bounces back
• Reaction Emojis: Playful stretch during selection
• Send Button: Compress before message flies away

2. Anticipation

• Post Button: Brief wind-up before publishing
• Stories: Tap-and-hold with radial progress
• Swipe Actions: Preview hints at what's coming

3. Staging

• Content First: User content is always the star
• Reactions Bar: Clear but not overshadowing
• Notifications: Prominent but dismissible

4. Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose

• Feed Scroll: Endless smooth flow (straight ahead)
• Posting Flow: Step-by-step creation (pose to pose)
• Story Sequences: Frame-by-frame progression

5. Follow Through & Overlapping Action

• Like Animation: Icon bounces, count updates after
• Comment Thread: Avatar appears, then text
• Share Menu: Options cascade in sequence

6. Slow In & Slow Out

• Pull to Refresh: Smooth deceleration
• Card Transitions: Ease-in-out for polished feel
• Modal Sheets: Comfortable 300ms timing

7. Arc

• Reactions Float: Emojis arc upward from button
• Story Gestures: Swipe follows natural curve
• Content Sharing: Posts arc to share destination

8. Secondary Action

• Double-Tap Like: Heart bursts while fading
• Typing Indicator: Dots bounce while thinking
• Upload Progress: Shimmer while processing

9. Timing

• Interactions: Snappy 100-200ms for engagement
• Transitions: Swift 250-300ms to maintain flow
• Celebrations: 500-800ms for emotional moments

10. Exaggeration

• Reactions: Amplify emotional expression
• Milestones: Celebrate follower counts, likes
• Live Features: Dynamic, attention-grabbing

11. Solid Drawing

• Avatar Consistency: Uniform sizing and styling
• Icon Language: Cohesive visual vocabulary
• Grid Layouts: Proper alignment and spacing

12. Appeal

• Personality Forward: Platform character shines through
• Dopamine Design: Rewarding micro-interactions
• Shareability: Animations worth recording

Industry Timing Standards

Action	Duration	Easing
Like/React	200ms	spring
Pull to Refresh	300ms	ease-out
Story Transition	250ms	ease-in-out
Modal Open	300ms	ease-out
Send Message	150ms	ease-out

Key Principle

Social media thrives on emotional expression. Animations should amplify connection, make interactions feel rewarding, and encourage continued engagement without feeling manipulative.