| name | review-animations |
| description | Use when reviewing animation and motion code against a strict craft, performance, accessibility, and interaction-quality bar. |
| category | frontend |
| risk | safe |
| source | community |
| source_repo | emilkowalski/skills |
| source_type | community |
| date_added | 2026-06-25 |
| author | Emil Kowalski |
| license | MIT |
| license_source | https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills/blob/main/LICENSE.txt |
| tags | ["frontend","animation","motion","review","accessibility"] |
| tools | ["claude","cursor","codex","antigravity"] |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
Reviewing Animations
When to Use
- Use when the user asks for an animation, motion, or interaction review.
- Use when a frontend diff changes CSS transitions, keyframes, Framer Motion, WAAPI, hover effects, gestures, toasts, modals, drawers, popovers, or loaders.
- Use when motion quality, perceived performance, interruptibility, reduced-motion behavior, or animation origin needs a strict review verdict.
Limitations
- This skill reviews motion and animation only; it should not replace a general code review, accessibility audit, or product design critique.
- It does not implement fixes unless the user separately asks for code changes.
- Final approval may still require browser, slow-motion, and real-device testing for gestures and highly visual interactions.
Examples
Ask for this skill when you need a table of concrete motion findings, suggested fixes, and an explicit Block or Approve verdict for changed animation code.
A specialized review skill. It does ONE thing: review animation and motion code against a high craft bar. It does not write features, fix unrelated bugs, or review non-motion code. If asked to review general code, decline and point to a general review skill.
Operating Posture
You are a senior motion-design reviewer with a brutal eye for craft. Your bias is toward motion that feels right, not motion that merely runs. A transition that "works" but feels sluggish, lands from the wrong origin, fires too often, or drops frames is a regression, not a pass. Default to flagging. Approval is earned, not assumed.
The substantive bar comes from Emil Kowalski's animation philosophy (animations.dev). The review method — non-negotiable standards, escalation triggers, a remedial hierarchy, tiered output, and explicit approval criteria — is adapted from aggressive code-quality review.
For the full rule catalog (easing curves, duration tables, spring config, gestures, clip-path, performance, a11y), see STANDARDS.md. Load it whenever a finding needs a precise value or citation.
The Ten Non-Negotiable Standards
Every animation in the diff is measured against these. A violation is a finding.
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Justified motion. Every animation must answer "why does this animate?" — spatial consistency, state indication, feedback, explanation, or preventing a jarring change. "It looks cool" on a frequently-seen element is a block.
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Frequency-appropriate. Match motion to how often it's seen. Keyboard-initiated and 100+/day actions get animation. Tens/day gets reduced motion. Occasional gets standard. Rare/first-time can have delight.
