How Revolut’s UI Animation Improves Usability

TL;DR

• UI Animation Improves Usability: Animation isn’t just for aesthetics – it’s a powerful tool to enhance the user experience by guiding users through complex interfaces and simplifying interactions.
• Real-Time Feedback Matters: Animations that show the status of actions, like loading indicators or success/failure feedback, help users feel confident and informed, especially in complex systems like fintech platforms.
• Onboarding Animations Make Learning Easy: Well-designed onboarding animations can break down complex features and help new users understand how to use a platform quickly and easily.
• Microinteractions Drive Engagement: Small, purposeful animations (like feedback indicators) improve user interactions by providing clear, immediate responses to user actions, enhancing both functionality and user satisfaction.
• Purposeful Motion Guides Attention: Animations can create a motion hierarchy, directing users' attention to the most important elements and improving the flow of the interface. This makes the interface feel more intuitive and less overwhelming.

In addition to animated videos, we’re an agency specializing in web design and UI animation. Feel free to check out our case studies for OpenMoney and Tasknet, where we discuss how we designed their website UI and used animation to help explain their product.

We’ve covered quite a bit of UI design and animation-related content on our blog. One post you might find interesting is “How to Make UI Animations Run Smooth.” However, today we’re shifting our focus to explore how design choices impact user experience and usability.

In this blog, we’re diving into how motion is integrated into website and app interfaces to help users navigate more intuitively and create a better experience overall. As we researched, one industry that stood out for using motion effectively is the Neo Bank sector. It makes sense, right? With so many complex features and concepts that need to be simplified, and the inherent trust issues when dealing with money, motion design is a game-changer. It helps break down these complex ideas and makes everything feel more approachable.

One brand that does this exceptionally well is Revolut. In this blog, we’ll dive into the motion in their UI and show how it enhances the user experience. Let’s get started.

Common type of UI animation

We’ve actually covered this in detail in our blog, “The Best UI Animation Examples.” In this section, we’ll briefly mention those examples and focus more on the key trends we’ve noticed in UI animation.

Just a heads-up—these animations might be called different names depending on the agency or industry. Here are the terms we typically use among our designers:

Microinteractions

These are small animations that give users feedback on their actions. They’re essential for guiding users through interactions and enhancing the overall experience. One common example is:

• Feedback & Status Indicators: These animations show users the status of their actions—whether something is loading, has been successful, or has failed. Some agencies may treat these as a separate category, but we believe they still fall under microinteractions since their primary function is to inform the user about what's happening.

Onboarding Animations

Onboarding animations are motion elements that guide users through a product or feature, making it easier for them to understand how things work. These animations help new users feel more comfortable and confident in using the product from the get-go.

Delight Elements

These animations are all about adding enjoyable moments that elevate the user experience without impacting functionality. While some people might consider them part of microinteractions, we see them as distinct. The key difference? Delight elements focus more on user satisfaction and emotional engagement, while microinteractions are aimed at providing functional feedback.

How Revolut uses UI animation

Revolut uses animations in a way that goes far beyond just making the interface look pretty. These animations are strategically placed to communicate how the product works and enhance the overall user experience.

This becomes immediately apparent as soon as you open the app. The first interaction users have is with their onboarding animation, which is designed to simplify the complex features of the app right from the start. Instead of bombarding new users with lengthy tutorials or confusing explanations, Revolut uses motion to guide users through the key features in a smooth and engaging way. This not only makes the app feel more intuitive but also reduces the friction of learning how to use the product.

Additionally, Revolut integrates feedback and status animations throughout both their app and website. These animations provide users with real-time visual cues, making it clear whether an action has been successful, is still processing, or has failed. For example, when making a payment or transferring funds, users can instantly see if their action is being processed or if there was an issue. This constant flow of information ensures users don’t feel lost or confused, which is crucial, especially in financial apps where trust and clarity are paramount.

By using these animations thoughtfully, Revolut not only enhances its design but also boosts usability. They create a seamless user experience that builds confidence in the app and ensures users stay informed throughout their journey.

Microinteractions and Motion Hierarchy

Fascinating aspect of Revolut’s UI is their use of microanimations. These subtle animations may seem small, but they play a big role in making the interface feel responsive and interactive.

While most apps rely on simple dissolve or slide transitions, which are functional but often forgettable, Revolut takes a more intentional approach. They follow a simple rule: one thing at a time gets attention.

Take a basic action like opening the card details. Here’s how Revolut uses animation to guide the user experience:

1. First, the page controls blur out, focusing the user’s attention.
2. Then, the bottom tab bar slides down and disappears, clearing space for what’s important.
3. Next, the card itself scales up and fades into focus, indicating the user’s primary point of interest.
4. Finally, the action sheet appears, seamlessly integrating into the flow.

Because these animations happen in a specific sequence, your eye naturally knows where to look. First the card, then the details. This staggered motion creates a clear motion hierarchy, something a basic dissolve simply can't achieve.

Instead of just transitioning from one screen to another, Revolut’s animations guide attention and explain the structure of the interface. This ensures the user always knows what to focus on next, making the experience smoother and more intuitive.

Revolut’s onboarding animation

Revolut’s onboarding animations do more than just look good—they help visualize abstract ideas in a way that makes complex features easy to understand.

For example, when explaining how they transfer funds to 30+ currencies, Revolut uses a rotating globe with coins from different currencies sliding across it. Instead of bombarding users with text, the animation brings the concept to life, making it something people can immediately grasp.

This is becoming a common trend in fintech. Financial products can be complicated, so using animation helps turn them into something users can quickly visualize and understand.

Feedback & status indicators

Revolut does a great job with feedback and status animations across their app and website, providing users with real-time updates on their actions.

Whenever a user performs an action—whether it’s transferring funds or making a payment—they immediately know whether it was successful, still processing, or if something went wrong. This feedback is quick and clear, which is essential for maintaining a smooth user experience.

In the fintech world, this kind of feedback is crucial. When users are dealing with their money, ambiguity can lead to anxiety. They want to know their transaction is being processed correctly, and clear status updates reassure them that everything is on track.

These animations are especially useful in processes that involve multiple steps, like transferring money between accounts or making investments. As users move through each stage, the animation provides them with instant status updates, so they always know where they stand. This reduces confusion and helps users feel more in control, which ultimately enhances trust in the platform.

How UI animation boost usability

Animation isn’t just about making things look pretty – it actually helps usability too. A study by Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt found that interfaces with animated UI elements scored 82.5 on the System Usability Scale (SUS). For reference, the average score is usually around 68, so it’s clear that adding some thoughtful motion can make your interface easier to use.

So, why does animation help? Well, it’s all about guiding the user. When things are animated, they can show users what’s happening or what’s about to happen. For example, loading indicators or transitions can make it obvious that a task is in progress or finished, which reduces any guesswork and gives the user more confidence in the system.

At the end of the day, animation isn’t just for looks – it can highlight key actions, give instant feedback, and make complex stuff way easier to understand. When done right, it turns a good interface into a really smooth and enjoyable experience.

Our clients’ approach to UI animation

One of our clients, OpenMoney, did something similar to Revolut by using hero UI animations throughout their platform. These animations clearly communicate what the platform does, making it easy for users to get the point right away. At Motion The Agency, we helped OpenMoney bring these animations to life in a way that not only enhanced the user experience but also strengthened their brand identity.

To achieve this, we worked closely with OpenMoney to define the key actions and messages that needed to be communicated through animation. Understanding that clarity was essential, we focused on creating animations that would highlight key features of the platform without overwhelming the user. The goal was to simplify complex financial services and make them easy to understand at a glance, ensuring that users could quickly grasp how to use the platform.

We used Lottie animations for their lightweight nature, which helped maintain fast loading speeds while still delivering dynamic and engaging motion. These animations were strategically placed across the platform to guide users through essential tasks like payment confirmations and account management. By integrating animations seamlessly into the platform’s design, we ensured that they served both aesthetic and functional purposes.

In the end, the collaboration resulted in a smoother, more engaging user experience that allowed OpenMoney to stand out in the competitive fintech space. Their platform now offers a clear, visually-driven explanation of its services, making it easier for users to connect with and understand their product.

Conclusion

UI animation does more than make an interface look good. It helps users understand what is happening, guides them through complex features, and makes the overall experience feel smoother and easier to use.

Revolut is a good example of this. Its onboarding, feedback animations, and microinteractions help explain financial features and give users more confidence. We took a similar approach with OpenMoney, using UI animation to make the platform’s key features clearer and easier to navigate.

You can see more in our OpenMoney and Tasknet case studies. Have a project in mind? Book a call with our team.

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