Design, UI, UX, Inspiration, Website Examples
20 Animated Websites That Push The Limits
Looking to make your website stand out? Animation can be a game changer especially if done right. It can add depth, keep visitors engaged, and make browsing more fun. But not every website nails the balance between creativity and usability. This is why in this collection, we’ve gathered 20 examples of animated websites that strike that perfect chord. These sites use animation to enhance their design, without going overboard.
In this article, we will look at some amazing live websites that use creative animations to engage visitors and grab their attention. Let’s check them out:
1. Spherical Waves Digital Agency
Spherical Waves’ website showcases how animation can transform a simple landing page into an immersive experience. From the start, the preloader animation featuring their logo grabs attention, setting the tone for what’s to come. The single-page layout uses a mix of animations, like lazy scrolling and interactive 3D background elements that track your movement as you scroll.
The background continuously shifts, adding to the experimental vibe of the design. Since the entire site is custom-coded, it’s clear they’re pushing boundaries to demonstrate their skills. Every interaction on the site feels intentional, offering a smooth, story-driven experience that keeps you engaged without overwhelming.
Key Highlights:
- Preloader animation featuring the Spherical Waves logo
- Custom 3D background that moves with scrolling
- Lazy scrolling and interactive elements
- Dynamic background changes that enhance storytelling
- Full custom-coded design
2. SpaceKart Electric Go- Karting
SpaceKart’s website pulls you right into its futuristic world the moment it loads. The preloading animation quickly sets the tone, but it’s the 3D background that really steals the show. It feels like you’re inside a spaceship, with the dashboard-like design and neon blue accents creating a sleek, high-tech atmosphere.
The 3D models of the go-karts assembling as you scroll add a fun, interactive touch, making the experience feel more like a game than just a website. The complex animations, powered by NuxtJS and NodeJS, flow smoothly, keeping the user engaged without any hiccups. The neon blue color scheme pops against the dark space-inspired background, reinforcing the whole futuristic vibe.
Key Highlights:
- Preloading animation sets up the futuristic theme
- Interactive 3D go-kart models that assemble as you scroll
- Complex 3D background design resembling a spaceship dashboard
- Striking neon blue color scheme contrasted with a dark space background
- Built with NuxtJS and NodeJS for seamless animations
3. Blink Industries Interactive 3D Room
Blink Industries’ website feels more like stepping into a retro-futuristic video game than browsing a traditional portfolio. The interactive 3D staff room, built with WebGL and Three JS, invites you to explore by clicking on various elements to reveal different sections of the site. The ability to rotate, zoom in, and zoom out makes it feel like you’re truly navigating a digital space.
Each minisite opens like a full-screen monitor, complete with a nostalgic, 90s-inspired UI, giving it a fun, throwback vibe. The experimental design really pushes boundaries, creating a highly interactive and memorable experience that blends retro aesthetics with futuristic elements.
Key Highlights:
- Interactive 3D staff room with clickable elements to explore different sections
- Ability to rotate, zoom in, and zoom out in the 3D space
- Retro-style UI that mimics a 90s operating system
- Built with WebGL and Three JS for immersive 3D interactivity
- Experimental design with a video game-like feel
4. Wildfire Canada Forest Fires Prevention
#FollowingWildfire takes a serious topic like forest fires and presents it in a way that feels both engaging and impactful. The site grabs attention immediately with its unique preloader, which looks like a program booting up, and the futuristic dashboard design, complete with system fonts, adds to the immersive experience.
Once you enter, the animated intro paired with background music sets the tone for the rest of the site. You can explore different areas of a map, interact with timelines, and learn about wildfire history in a way that feels personal and engaging. Built with NextJS and powered by NodeJS for smooth animations, this site makes a complex issue accessible and interactive while encouraging social responsibility.
Key Highlights:
- Program-like preloader adds to the tech-forward feel
- Futuristic dashboard design with system fonts
- Interactive map and timelines for a deep dive into wildfire history
- Animated intro with background music that enhances the experience
- Built with NextJS and NodeJS for seamless, complex animations
5. Raven Crypto Market Scrolling Animation
Raven’s website takes the high-tech world of algorithmic trading and presents it with an eye-catching, futuristic design. The interactive 3D elements immediately pull you in, creating a vibrant and dynamic experience. Scrolling through the site feels smooth, with parallax effects and animated transitions that make each section come alive.
The colorful visuals and sleek animations perfectly complement Raven’s identity as a cutting-edge firm in both CeFi and DeFi markets. Built on Webflow, the site makes complex financial concepts feel accessible and engaging, showing how design and interactivity can breathe life into an industry known for numbers and data.
Key Highlights:
- Colorful futuristic design with interactive 3D elements
- Smooth scrolling animation and parallax effects
- Engaging transitions that enhance user experience
- Built on Webflow for seamless interactivity
6. Marco De Luca Digital Designer Portfolio
Marco De Luca’s portfolio is a bold, experimental take on digital design that really showcases his love for UI/UX. The site opens with a striking hero section where giant animated text introduces him, immediately grabbing your attention. As you scroll, parallax effects and floating 3D elements keep the experience dynamic and engaging.
The playful nature of the site really shines on the Playground page, where the messy gallery rearranges into a neat grid when you click “Put the Toys Away.” This clever, interactive design move highlights Marco’s creative approach to web design. Built with NextJS and NodeJS for smooth animations, the site effortlessly balances experimentation with clean functionality.
Key Highlights:
- Bold typography with giant animated text in the hero section
- Floating 3D elements and parallax effects
- Interactive gallery rearrangement with the “Put the Toys Away” button
- Built with NextJS and NodeJS for seamless experimental animations
- Playful yet functional design approach that feels fresh and bold
7. Brick Studio Full-Service Photography Studio Portfolio
Brick’s website stands out with its unique navigation and creative use of space, fitting for a full-service studio. The split-screen layout gives it a distinctive feel, with each section falling into place like interactive boxes you can click on, keeping the user experience fresh and engaging. The high-quality photography throughout the site showcases the studio’s work while giving it a visually rich, professional look.
The homepage features an interactive blueprint of their Greenpoint office, allowing users to explore different areas with a simple click—an innovative way to present their physical space. Built with NextJS and powered by NodeJS, the site is both sleek and highly interactive, matching the studio’s artistic vibe.
Key Highlights:
- Unique split-screen layout with clickable, interactive sections
- High-quality photography featured throughout the site
- Interactive office blueprint on the homepage for a virtual tour
- Smooth animations and transitions using NextJS and NodeJS
- Creative navigation and design that aligns with the studio’s visual focus
8. Studio Pic Boutique Design and Animation Portfolio
Partners In Crime’s website is a masterclass in blending luxury design with interactive animation. The transitions between sections are smooth and visually captivating, keeping the user engaged as they move through the site.
The full-screen photography and videos make a bold statement, while the small magazine-style fonts add a sophisticated touch. The parallax scrolling effects and subtle micro-interactions enhance the overall experience, giving the site a polished, high-end feel. Overlapping sections add a sense of fluidity, making the design feel dynamic and cohesive.
Key Highlights:
- Smooth transitions and immersive 3D elements
- Full-screen photography and videos that make an impact
- Parallax effects and micro-interactions throughout the site
- Small magazine-style fonts add sophistication
9. Guillaume Colombel Interactive Design Portfolio
Guillaume Colombel’s portfolio is a fun mix of creativity and interaction, perfectly showing off his skills as an interactive developer. The infinite scroll keeps things flowing smoothly as you move through big, eye-catching background images, with each section coming to life through cool 2D and 3D animations.
There are distortion effects when you scroll that give the site a unique, playful feel, making each transition stand out.
Key Highlights:
- Smooth infinite scroll with big background images
- Animated 2D and 3D elements for each section
- Fun distortion effects that spice up scrolling
- An experimental design that showcases his skills
10. Durasov Tea & The Rest Premium Tea
Durasov Tea and the Rest makes exploring their premium teas a cozy and enjoyable experience. The website features a beautiful custom illustration of a night city, complete with charming buildings that come to life with fun animations.
This warm backdrop sets the perfect mood for checking out their high-quality teas and herbal blends. The tea catalog has a cool broken grid gallery that rearranges images as you scroll, making browsing feel lively and interactive. Overall, the site captures the essence of their brand, making it a pleasure to explore their tasty offerings.
Key Highlights:
- Cozy design with a custom night city illustration
- Animated city elements add a lively touch
- Fun broken grid gallery that rearranges images when you scroll
- Easy and engaging way to browse high-quality teas
11. Webisoft Software Engineers Studio Portfolio
Webisoft’s website has a clean and friendly vibe that’s easy to navigate, just like their team of software engineers. As you scroll, the overlapping sections create a nice flow, making it simple to explore what they offer.
The 3D holographic logo animation adds a cool touch that really stands out. Plus, the parallax effects make the design feel lively and modern. Built with the Django framework, the site looks great and works smoothly.
Key Highlights:
- Clean and friendly design that’s easy to navigate
- Overlapping sections create a smooth scrolling experience
- Cool 3D holographic logo animation that catches the eye
- Lively parallax effects add depth to the design
12. Hypnotic Loop of Communism Experimental Website
This experimental website explores the endless loop of consumerism in a really cool way. The scrolling text never stops, showing how we’re always chasing the next little bit of happiness while feeling that tug of desire and regret. The motion typography moves around the screen, and there are custom illustrations and animated 3D elements that make it fun to look at.
When you hover over different parts, you get to see clever marketing tricks that try to pull you into buying.
Key Highlights:
- Scrolling text that represents the never-ending cycle of consumerism
- Fun motion typography that moves across the screen
- Custom illustrations and animated 3D elements add visual interest
- Hover effects show off clever marketing tricks
13. Flaire Recruiting Recruitment Company
Flaire’s website offers a fresh take on recruitment, focusing on tech, AI, data, and product profiles. The horizontal layout makes it easy to explore, and the single-page design keeps everything in one place for quick browsing.
With parallax background animations and lazy scrolling, the site has a nice flow that feels modern and engaging. Motion typography adds a bit of flair, while hover effects make the experience interactive and fun. The mix of horizontal and vertical scrolling keeps things interesting, making it a great spot for scale-ups looking for top talent in a creative way.
Key Highlights:
- Fresh horizontal layout for easy navigation
- Single-page design for quick browsing
- Parallax background animations create a modern feel
- Motion typography adds personality to the site
- Interactive hover effects for a fun user experience
- Unique mix of horizontal and vertical scrolling keeps it interesting
14. Amici Mediterranean Restaurants
Amici’s website is a fun and inviting space that really brings the feel of an authentic Italian restaurant online. The animated design feels lively and captures the spirit of a real restaurant menu.
With motion typography and overlapping elements, the site keeps things interesting as you explore. The parallax effects give it a nice depth while floating galleries showcase their tasty dishes in a way that makes your mouth water. Also, the hover effects make it easy to discover what’s on the menu.
Key Highlights:
- Interactive design that feels like a real restaurant menu
- Lively motion typography adds energy to the experience
- Overlapping elements and parallax effects keep things fun
- Floating galleries highlight delicious Italian dishes
15. Playground Web Developer Portfolio
ikjunim’s Playground is a super fun and experimental website that gives you a peek into the creator’s personality. It kicks off with a splash screen that welcomes you and shares the developer’s email, setting a friendly tone right from the start. Then, you get an awesome transition where squares rotate to reveal the main page. The full-screen homepage is like a giant hero section showcasing a slider with cool animations that float into space, giving it a whimsical touch.
There’s a button that takes you to the “What’s the purpose of this website?” page, where you can type and interact with floating balloons that you can drag around. Also, you can click the arrows in the bottom right corner to explore different random pages about the creator, each filled with unique animations and effects.
Key Highlights:
- Fun splash screen with a welcoming message and email
- Cool transition with rotating squares leading to the main page
- Full-screen homepage featuring animated sliders floating into space
- Interactive “What’s the purpose of this website?” page with draggable balloons
- Random pages about the creator with unique animations and effects
16. Behind the Seams Marketing Campaign Website
The website for the Global Organic Textile Standard’s 2024 marketing campaign is a vibrant celebration of social responsibility. Its animated and colorful design instantly grabs attention, making the message fun and engaging.
Custom illustrations and lively characters bring the content to life, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The site uses storytelling to guide visitors through the importance of organic textiles, showing how they can make a difference in the world.
Key Highlights:
- Bright and colorful design that captures attention
- Fun custom illustrations and characters enhance the message
- Engaging storytelling to highlight social responsibility
- Interactive elements invite exploration and learning
- Inspiring campaign that encourages support for sustainable practices
17. Max Milkin Frontend Developer Portfolio
Max Milkin’s portfolio showcases his skills in web development, 3D graphics, and animations in a sleek and minimal design. The clean layout keeps the focus on his work, while interactive 3D elements add a touch of creativity that makes browsing enjoyable. The preloader animation shows percentages as it loads, adding a nice touch of anticipation.
As you explore, hover effects and parallax scrolling create a dynamic experience, while motion typography keeps things lively and engaging. Plus, the site is perfectly optimized for mobile, ensuring a smooth experience no matter how you access it.
Key Highlights:
- Sleek and minimal design that focuses on the work
- Interactive 3D elements that enhance the browsing experience
- Engaging preloader animation displaying loading percentages
- Fun hover effects and parallax scrolling for a dynamic feel
- Smooth motion typography adds liveliness to the site
- Fully optimized for mobile devices for easy access on the go
18. Sarah Louise Kinsella Creative Studio Portfolio
Louise Agency’s website reflects the vibrant creativity of Sarah Louise Kinsella and her team. The colorful single-page design immediately draws you in, starting with an animated logo that sets a lively tone. Each section title jumps when you hover over it, adding a playful touch that invites interaction.
As you scroll, you’ll notice animated illustrations of Louise, bringing a sense of personality to the site. The scrolling typography adds an energetic flow to the content, making it fun to read through.
Key Highlights:
- Colorful single-page design that grabs attention
- Animated logo hero screen sets a lively tone
- Interactive section titles that jump on hover for fun engagement
- Animated illustrations of Louise add personality to the site
- Scrolling typography animation creates an energetic flow
19. Roman Salakhov Webflow Developer Portfolio
Roman Salakhov’s portfolio site is a fantastic showcase of his skills as a Creative Web Designer and Webflow Developer. The full-screen hero section features his name, topped with a rotating 3D animated logo that instantly grabs your attention.
The first section presents his featured projects in a split-screen layout, using scrolling animations to reveal a list of projects in an engaging way. Each section changes its layout, offering a mix of overlapping sections and zooming content that keeps things fresh and interesting.
Key Highlights:
- Full-screen hero section with a rotating 3D animated logo
- Engaging split-screen layout for showcasing featured projects
- Scrolling animations reveal projects in a dynamic way
- Varied layouts keep the experience fresh with overlapping sections and zoom effects
20. Marie Weber Fashion Footwear Designer
When you visit the handmade shoe company’s website, you’re greeted by a simple and classy animation of the logo. This warm welcome happens on every page, matching the brand’s luxurious vibe and hinting that what’s coming is worth your time.
As you explore the site, you’ll notice more fun animations. Shoe collection names slide in smoothly, and the images of the shoes pop up before zooming out to show more details. In addition, little lines animate under the links, clearly showing you which one you’re about to click.
Key Highlights:
- Classy logo animation welcomes you on every page
- Luxury design that fits the brand’s vibe
- Smooth animations for shoe collection names
- Images zoom out to reveal more details
- Little animated lines help guide your clicks
What are Animated Websites?
Animated websites use movement to make browsing more fun and engaging. Instead of just being still, these sites bring their designs to life with different animations that help guide users or simply make things look cooler. These animations can be small, like a button lighting up, or big, like a background that moves as you scroll.
Here are a few common types of animations:
- Scrolling animations: Parts of the page move or change as you scroll down.
- Hover effects: Things happen when you move your mouse over buttons or images, like color changes or pop-ups.
- Parallax scrolling: Backgrounds and foregrounds move at different speeds to create a 3D feel.
- Loading animations: Visuals that keep users entertained while waiting for the page to load.
- 3D animations: Adding 3D objects or effects to make the website more interactive and immersive.
Why You Should Animate Your Website?
Animations can really bring your website to life and make it more enjoyable for visitors. They help grab attention, guide people as they explore your site, and make important content stand out. From a simple hover effect to scrolling animations, these details can make your site feel more interactive and fun.
The benefits of adding animation are clear. They improve how easy and smooth it is to navigate, making the whole experience more user-friendly. Animations can also help tell your story or show off your products in a more interesting way. Plus, sites with good animation tend to stick in people’s minds, encouraging them to return.
Here’s how animations directly benefit your website:
- Grab attention: Animations catch the eye and keep visitors focused on important parts of your site.
- Improve navigation: Smooth transitions and animated guides help users move through your website more easily.
- Highlight key content: Subtle animations, like hover effects, can make buttons and links stand out.
- Create a memorable experience: Animated websites are more likely to stick in a visitor’s mind, leading to more revisits.
- Tell a story: Animations can visually guide users through your brand’s message or products in an engaging way.
FAQ
1. What is an animated website?
An animated website uses moving elements to make the experience more fun and engaging. This can include things like scrolling effects, hover animations, or even 3D graphics.
2. Do animations make websites slower?
Not if they’re done well! Modern coding can keep animations smooth and quick without slowing down the site.
3. What types of animations are common on websites?
Some common ones are hover effects, scrolling animations, loading animations, and parallax effects. Each adds a bit of movement and makes the site feel more interactive.
4. Do animations work on mobile devices?
Yes, they can! Animations can be designed to work smoothly on mobile devices, though they need to be lightweight and responsive for the best experience.
5. How do animations improve the user experience?
Animations help guide visitors through the site, highlight important info, and make the whole experience more enjoyable and memorable.
6. Are animations expensive to add to a website?
The cost depends on how simple or complex the animations are. Basic animations are usually affordable, but more advanced ones might cost a bit more.
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Alrighty, folks, that’s a wrap!
Animated websites add a fun and lively touch to the online experience. From smooth scrolling to cool hover effects, they keep people interested and make your site more memorable.
Hey, before you go, don’t forget to check out our other awesome articles on UI/UX design! We’ve got loads of tips and inspiration to help you create stunning designs that will blow your mind.