Production-ready UI motion system for React/Next.js. Use when implementing animations, transitions, or motion patterns.
Motion System v4.2
Production-ready UI motion system for React / Next.js.
Focused on performance, accessibility, and usability — not decoration.
When to Use
Use this motion system when motion:
Guides attention (e.g., onboarding, key actions)
Communicates state (loading, success, error, transitions)
Preserves spatial continuity (layout changes, navigation)
Appropriate Scenarios
Interactive components (buttons, modals, menus)
State transitions (loading → loaded, open → closed)
Navigation and layout continuity (shared elements, crossfade)
Considerations
Accessibility: Always support reduced motion
Device adaptation: Adjust for low-end devices
Performance trade-offs: Prefer responsiveness over visual smoothness
Avoid Using Motion When
It is purely decorative
It reduces usability or clarity
It impacts performance negatively
How It Works
Core Principle
Motion must:
Guide attention
Communicate state
Preserve spatial continuity
If it does none → remove it.
Installation
npm install motion
Version
motion/react - default for current Motion for React projects (package: motion)
framer-motion - legacy import path for projects that still depend on Framer Motion
Do not mix. Mixing causes conflicting internal schedulers and broken AnimatePresence contexts — components from one package will not coordinate exit animations with components from the other.
To check which version your project uses:
cat package.json | grep -E '"motion"|"framer-motion"'
Always import from one source consistently:
// Correct (modern)
import { motion, AnimatePresence } from "motion/react"
// Correct (legacy)
import { motion, AnimatePresence } from "framer-motion"
// Never mix both in the same project
Motion Tokens
// motionTokens.ts
export const motionTokens = {
duration: {
fast: 0.18,
normal: 0.35,
slow: 0.6
},
// Use these as the `ease` value inside a `transition` object:
// transition={{ duration: motionTokens.duration.normal, ease: motionTokens.easing.smooth }}
easing: {
smooth: [0.22, 1, 0.36, 1] as [number, number, number, number],
sharp: [0.4, 0, 0.2, 1] as [number, number, number, number]
},
distance: {
sm: 8,
md: 16,
lg: 24
}
}
Usage example:
import { motionTokens } from "@/lib/motionTokens"
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: motionTokens.distance.md }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
transition={{
duration: motionTokens.duration.normal,
ease: motionTokens.easing.smooth
}}
/>
Performance Rules
Safe
transform
opacity
Avoid
width / height
top / left
Rule: responsiveness > smoothness
Device Adaptation
The heuristic combines CPU core count and available memory for a more reliable signal. deviceMemory is available on Chrome/Android; the fallback covers Safari and Firefox.
const isLowEnd =
typeof navigator !== "undefined" && (
// Low memory (Chrome/Android only; undefined elsewhere → treat as capable)
(navigator.deviceMemory !== undefined && navigator.deviceMemory <= 2) ||
// Few cores AND no memory API (covers Safari/Firefox on weak hardware)
(navigator.deviceMemory === undefined && navigator.hardwareConcurrency <= 4)
)
const duration = isLowEnd ? 0.2 : 0.4
Accessibility
JS (useReducedMotion)
import { motion, useReducedMotion } from "motion/react"
export function FadeIn() {
const reduce = useReducedMotion()
return (
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: reduce ? 0 : 24 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
/>
)
}
CSS
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.motion-safe-transition {
transition: opacity 0.2s;
}
.motion-reduce-transform {
transform: none !important;
}
}
Tailwind
<div class="motion-safe:animate-fade motion-reduce:opacity-100"></div>
Architecture & Patterns
Core Patterns
Scenario
Pattern
Hover feedback
whileHover
Tap / press feedback
whileTap
Reveal on scroll
whileInView
Scroll-linked value
useScroll + useTransform
Conditional mount/unmount
AnimatePresence
Small layout shifts (single element, < ~300px change)
layout prop
Large layout shifts or full-page reflows
Avoid layout; use CSS transitions or page-level routing instead
Complex, imperative sequences
useAnimate
Why avoid layout on large containers? Framer's layout animation uses transform to reconcile positions, but on elements that span the full viewport or trigger deep reflow, the measurement cost causes visible jank and CLS. Prefer CSS Grid/Flexbox transitions or coordinate with layoutId on specific child elements only.
Layout & Transitions
Shared element transitions → layoutId (must be unique per mounted instance)
Enter / exit transitions → AnimatePresence (see mode guidance below)
AnimatePresence mode
Always specify mode explicitly — the default ("sync") runs enter and exit simultaneously, which causes visual overlap in most UI patterns.
mode
When to use
"wait"
Exit completes before enter starts. Use for modals, toasts, page transitions.
"sync" (default)
Enter and exit overlap. Use only when overlap is intentional (e.g., crossfade carousels).
"popLayout"
Exiting element is popped out of flow immediately; remaining items animate to fill. Use for lists, tabs, dismissible cards.
// Modal — always use "wait"
<AnimatePresence mode="wait">
{open && <Modal key="modal" />}
</AnimatePresence>
// Dismissible list item — use "popLayout"
<AnimatePresence mode="popLayout">
{items.map(item => <Card key={item.id} />)}
</AnimatePresence>
Advanced Patterns (Concepts)
Parallax (scroll-linked transforms)
Scroll storytelling (sticky sections)
3D tilt (pointer-based transforms)
Crossfade (shared layoutId)
Progressive reveal (clip-path)
Skeleton loading (looped opacity)
Micro-interactions (hover/tap feedback)
Spring system (physics-based motion)
Modal Essentials
Focus trap
Escape close
Scroll lock
ARIA roles
Use AnimatePresence mode="wait" so exit animation completes before the next modal enters
Full Example
import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
import { motion, AnimatePresence } from "motion/react"
function useFocusTrap(ref: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>, active: boolean) {
useEffect(() => {
if (!active || !ref.current) return
const el = ref.current
const focusable = el.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>(
'button, [href], input, select, textarea, [tabindex]:not([tabindex="-1"])'
)
const first = focusable[0]
const last = focusable[focusable.length - 1]
function handleKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
if (e.key !== "Tab") return
if (e.shiftKey && document.activeElement === first) {
e.preventDefault()
last?.focus()
} else if (!e.shiftKey && document.activeElement === last) {
e.preventDefault()
first?.focus()
}
}
el.addEventListener("keydown", handleKey)
first?.focus()
return () => el.removeEventListener("keydown", handleKey)
}, [active, ref])
}
function useScrollLock(active: boolean) {
useEffect(() => {
if (!active) return
const prev = document.body.style.overflow
document.body.style.overflow = "hidden"
return () => { document.body.style.overflow = prev }
}, [active])
}
function Modal({ open, closeModal }: { open: boolean; closeModal: () => void }) {
const ref = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
useFocusTrap(ref, open)
useScrollLock(open)
useEffect(() => {
function onKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
if (e.key === "Escape") closeModal()
}
if (open) window.addEventListener("keydown", onKey)
return () => window.removeEventListener("keydown", onKey)
}, [open, closeModal])
return (
// mode="wait" ensures exit animation finishes before any new modal enters
<AnimatePresence mode="wait">
{open && (
<motion.div
role="dialog"
aria-modal="true"
aria-labelledby="modal-title"
initial={{ opacity: 0 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1 }}
exit={{ opacity: 0 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.2 }}
className="fixed inset-0 flex items-center justify-center bg-black/40"
>
<motion.div
ref={ref}
initial={{ scale: 0.95, opacity: 0 }}
animate={{ scale: 1, opacity: 1 }}
exit={{ scale: 0.95, opacity: 0 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.2, ease: [0.22, 1, 0.36, 1] }}
className="bg-white p-6 rounded"
>
<h2 id="modal-title">Dialog Title</h2>
<button onClick={closeModal}>Close</button>
</motion.div>
</motion.div>
)}
</AnimatePresence>
)
}
export function Example() {
const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
return (
<>
<button onClick={() => setOpen(true)}>Open</button>
<Modal open={open} closeModal={() => setOpen(false)} />
</>
)
}
SSR Safety
Match initial states between server and client renders
Avoid implicit animation origins (always set initial explicitly)
Wrap motion components in "use client" in Next.js App Router
Debugging
Check:
Wrong import (mixing motion/react and framer-motion)
Missing "use client" directive in Next.js App Router
Missing key prop on AnimatePresence children
Hydration mismatch (initial state differs between SSR and client)
layout prop misuse on large containers causing reflow jank
State-driven animation not triggering (check dependency arrays)
QA
No CLS
Keyboard works
Focus trapped in modals
ARIA roles correct (role="dialog", aria-modal="true")
Reduced motion respected (useReducedMotion + CSS media query)
No hydration warnings in Next.js
Animations stop cleanly on unmount (no memory leaks)
AnimatePresence mode set explicitly on all usage sites
Anti-Patterns
Animating layout properties (width, height, top, left)
Infinite animations without purpose (always ask: what state does this communicate?)
Over-staggering lists (keep staggerChildren ≤ 0.1s; beyond that it feels slow)
Ignoring reduced motion preferences
Using layout on large or full-viewport containers
Omitting mode on AnimatePresence (default "sync" causes visual overlap)
Using motion purely for decoration
Philosophy
Motion is interaction design.
Final Rule
If motion does not improve UX → remove it.
Examples
Button Interaction
import { motion } from "motion/react"
export function Button() {
return (
<motion.button
whileHover={{ scale: 1.02 }}
whileTap={{ scale: 0.97 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.15, ease: [0.4, 0, 0.2, 1] }}
>
Click me
</motion.button>
)
}
Reduced Motion Example
import { motion, useReducedMotion } from "motion/react"
export function FadeIn() {
const reduce = useReducedMotion()
return (
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, y: reduce ? 0 : 24 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
transition={{ duration: reduce ? 0.1 : 0.35, ease: [0.22, 1, 0.36, 1] }}
/>
)
}
Stagger List
import { motion } from "motion/react"
const container = {
hidden: {},
visible: {
transition: { staggerChildren: 0.08 } // keep ≤ 0.1s to avoid sluggishness
}
}
const item = {
hidden: { opacity: 0, y: 10 },
visible: { opacity: 1, y: 0, transition: { duration: 0.3, ease: [0.22, 1, 0.36, 1] } }
}
export function List() {
return (
<motion.ul variants={container} initial="hidden" animate="visible">
{[1, 2, 3].map(i => (
<motion.li key={i} variants={item}>Item {i}</motion.li>
))}
</motion.ul>
)
}
Modal with AnimatePresence
import { motion, AnimatePresence } from "motion/react"
export function Modal({ open }: { open: boolean }) {
return (
<AnimatePresence mode="wait">
{open && (
<motion.div
initial={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0.95 }}
animate={{ opacity: 1, scale: 1 }}
exit={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0.95 }}
transition={{ duration: 0.2, ease: [0.22, 1, 0.36, 1] }}
/>
)}
</AnimatePresence>
)
}
Scroll Parallax
import { useScroll, useTransform, motion } from "motion/react"
export function Parallax() {
const { scrollYProgress } = useScroll()
const y = useTransform(scrollYProgress, [0, 1], [0, -80])
return <motion.div style={{ y }} />
}
Skeleton Loading
import { motion } from "motion/react"
export function Skeleton() {
return (
<motion.div
className="bg-gray-200 h-6 w-full rounded"
animate={{ opacity: [0.5, 1, 0.5] }}
transition={{
duration: 1.5, // comfortable pulse — was missing, caused fast flash
repeat: Infinity,
ease: "easeInOut"
}}
/>
)
}
Shared Layout (Crossfade)
import { motion } from "motion/react"
// layoutId must be unique per mounted instance.
// If multiple instances can exist simultaneously, append a unique id:
// layoutId={`shared-${item.id}`}
export function Shared() {
return <motion.div layoutId="shared" />
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