Animation Philosophy

Animation in Persephonie isn't eye candy. It's a communication channel. When a node expands, the motion tells you where the new information came from. When a panel slides in, you know it's connected to what you clicked. Remove the animation and you lose meaning.

Motion as Meaning

Every transition answers a question. Where did this come from? Where is it going? What's related to what? In a spatial interface, motion is the connective tissue between states. It's what turns a collection of screens into a place.

If the user can't see the transition, it's too fast. If they're waiting for it, it's too slow. The sweet spot is when motion feels like physics, not performance.

We use a single easing curve everywhere: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1). It starts quick and settles gently. Like a ball rolling to a stop. Natural, never robotic.

The Spider-Verse Standard

Spider-Verse proved that style and substance aren't trade-offs. Every frame was intentional. We hold our animations to the same standard. If a transition doesn't improve comprehension or orientation, it gets cut.

• Node expansion: reveals spatial relationship to parent
• Panel slide: maintains connection to clicked element
• Path animation: shows direction and flow of decisions
• Fade transitions: indicate state changes without spatial movement

One Timing Source

All durations live in a single file. Change one number and the entire interface speeds up or slows down in concert. No orphaned animations running at different tempos. The interface moves as one.