How do you test web animations across different platforms?

1 Why test web animations?

Web animations are not static images or videos. They are dynamic and interactive elements that depend on various factors, such as code, performance, compatibility, and user input. Therefore, testing web animations is crucial to avoid glitches, errors, or unexpected behaviors that can ruin your design and frustrate your users. Testing web animations also helps you optimize them for speed, quality, and accessibility, which can improve your website's usability and SEO.

2 What to test in web animations?

When testing web animations, you should consider several aspects, such as functionality, performance, compatibility, and accessibility. Functionality includes ensuring that the animation triggers on the right events and has a clear purpose and message. Performance requires that the animation loads quickly and does not consume too much memory or CPU. Compatibility means that the animation looks and behaves the same across different browsers, platforms, and devices. Lastly, accessibility means following web accessibility guidelines and best practices, such as having proper contrast, color, size, and respecting user preferences like reduced motion or dark mode.

3 How to test web animations manually?

One way to test web animations is to do it manually, by checking your website on different browsers, platforms, and devices. You can use tools like BrowserStack, CrossBrowserTesting, or LambdaTest to simulate various scenarios and environments. You can also use the browser's developer tools to inspect the animation's code, performance, and accessibility. For example, you can use the Chrome DevTools Animation Inspector to view and modify the animation's properties, timing, and keyframes.

4 How to test web animations automatically?

Testing web animations can be done with automated tools that can run tests and generate reports. Lottie is a library that renders animations created in Adobe After Effects in JSON format. You can use Lottie Web Player or LottieFiles Preview to test your animations on different browsers and devices. Percy is a visual testing platform that takes screenshots of your website across different browsers and devices. WAVE is a web accessibility evaluation tool that checks for contrast, color, and motion in your web animations. All of these tools provide feedback and suggestions to help you ensure your animations are working correctly.

5 How to improve web animations based on testing results?

Testing results can help you identify and fix any problems or issues with your web animations. You can use the feedback and data to optimize your code by using the right technologies, such as CSS, SVG, or JavaScript, and following best practices like requestAnimationFrame, easing functions, and transitions. Additionally, you can refine your design by using the right principles, such as timing, duration, and direction, and following guidelines like the 12 basic principles of animation or the Material Design motion system. Furthermore, you can enhance your user experience by using the right strategies, such as providing feedback, guidance, and delight, and following standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or the Web Animation API.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?