Reduced Motion

Reduced motion is a design approach that limits unnecessary movement for people who are distracted, uncomfortable, or adversely affected by animation. Some operating systems and browsers expose a preference that websites can use to reduce nonessential transitions and motion effects. For a service website, a moving image gallery might switch to a calmer presentation when that preference is active. Reduced motion does not mean every animated element must disappear; movement needed to explain information may require a thoughtful alternative. The goal is to respect user control while keeping the same tasks available. It differs from web animation, which describes the motion itself rather than how it is adapted.