Guide
- Dont’s
- Effects
Guide
- Dont’s
- Effects
Guide
- Dont’s
- Effects
A Guide to Not Overdoing Framer Effects
Framer gives us an incredible toolbox: appear effects, scroll animations, text reveals, and all of it just a click away. It’s tempting, right? But just because something is easy to use doesn’t mean you should slap it on everything. I’ll show you how to use Framer effects with purpose.
Posted by
Nandi
Table of contents
The problem with too many effects
Alright, let’s talk about something I’ve been seeing a lot lately in the Framer space: effect overload.
If your Framer site looks like it’s having a visual seizure every time someone scrolls… we need to talk.
Let’s be real, animations are fun. They make your site feel alive. But if everything on the page moves, glows, slides, and blurs, you end up with a chaotic mess.
What’s worse is your performance takes a serious hit. You scroll too fast and some elements don’t even load in time. Blur effects, in particular, are notorious for dragging down performance if you go too heavy with them.
If every text block is bouncing in from a different direction, and each image fades and flies in with a blur, visitors get overwhelmed, not impressed.
The problem with too many effects
Alright, let’s talk about something I’ve been seeing a lot lately in the Framer space: effect overload.
If your Framer site looks like it’s having a visual seizure every time someone scrolls… we need to talk.
Let’s be real, animations are fun. They make your site feel alive. But if everything on the page moves, glows, slides, and blurs, you end up with a chaotic mess.
What’s worse is your performance takes a serious hit. You scroll too fast and some elements don’t even load in time. Blur effects, in particular, are notorious for dragging down performance if you go too heavy with them.
If every text block is bouncing in from a different direction, and each image fades and flies in with a blur, visitors get overwhelmed, not impressed.
The problem with too many effects
Alright, let’s talk about something I’ve been seeing a lot lately in the Framer space: effect overload.
If your Framer site looks like it’s having a visual seizure every time someone scrolls… we need to talk.
Let’s be real, animations are fun. They make your site feel alive. But if everything on the page moves, glows, slides, and blurs, you end up with a chaotic mess.
What’s worse is your performance takes a serious hit. You scroll too fast and some elements don’t even load in time. Blur effects, in particular, are notorious for dragging down performance if you go too heavy with them.
If every text block is bouncing in from a different direction, and each image fades and flies in with a blur, visitors get overwhelmed, not impressed.
Too much animation.
Too much animation.
Too much animation.
Effects should add to the experience
The fix is simple: use effects with intention. Instead of animating every layer, take a step back and ask yourself: what do I actually want to highlight here?
Here’s how I like to approach it:
Group your effects
Rather than adding animations to individual layers, apply them to larger blocks. Most layouts are already structured this way, so it’s just a matter of picking the right level to add your animation.
For example: add a subtle appear effect to a whole section title block, not to every little element inside it.
Stick to subtle by default
Use basic appear effects like fading in from the bottom with a slight offset and delay. These give your site a polished feel without screaming for attention.
In Framer, just set opacity to 0, offset to 50, and a smooth timing curve like 0.6s with a slight delay. That’s it.
Highlight selectively
Save the intense stuff, like big slides or zooms, for special elements that really need the spotlight. Maybe it’s a key feature card or a call-to-action.
But here’s the catch: don’t use more than one or two intense effects on a page. Why? Because contrast is what makes them effective. If everything is intense, nothing stands out.
Effects should add to the experience
The fix is simple: use effects with intention. Instead of animating every layer, take a step back and ask yourself: what do I actually want to highlight here?
Here’s how I like to approach it:
Group your effects
Rather than adding animations to individual layers, apply them to larger blocks. Most layouts are already structured this way, so it’s just a matter of picking the right level to add your animation.
For example: add a subtle appear effect to a whole section title block, not to every little element inside it.
Stick to subtle by default
Use basic appear effects like fading in from the bottom with a slight offset and delay. These give your site a polished feel without screaming for attention.
In Framer, just set opacity to 0, offset to 50, and a smooth timing curve like 0.6s with a slight delay. That’s it.
Highlight selectively
Save the intense stuff, like big slides or zooms, for special elements that really need the spotlight. Maybe it’s a key feature card or a call-to-action.
But here’s the catch: don’t use more than one or two intense effects on a page. Why? Because contrast is what makes them effective. If everything is intense, nothing stands out.
Effects should add to the experience
The fix is simple: use effects with intention. Instead of animating every layer, take a step back and ask yourself: what do I actually want to highlight here?
Here’s how I like to approach it:
Group your effects
Rather than adding animations to individual layers, apply them to larger blocks. Most layouts are already structured this way, so it’s just a matter of picking the right level to add your animation.
For example: add a subtle appear effect to a whole section title block, not to every little element inside it.
Stick to subtle by default
Use basic appear effects like fading in from the bottom with a slight offset and delay. These give your site a polished feel without screaming for attention.
In Framer, just set opacity to 0, offset to 50, and a smooth timing curve like 0.6s with a slight delay. That’s it.
Highlight selectively
Save the intense stuff, like big slides or zooms, for special elements that really need the spotlight. Maybe it’s a key feature card or a call-to-action.
But here’s the catch: don’t use more than one or two intense effects on a page. Why? Because contrast is what makes them effective. If everything is intense, nothing stands out.
Contrasting animations.
Contrasting animations.
Contrasting animations.
It’s okay to do less
You don’t need animations on every scroll interaction. In fact, the original Framer University homepage was hardly animated at all! Later, subtle effects were added just to guide the user gently. And honestly? That’s all it needed.
Even if you’ve got a looping video or carousel going on in the background, that doesn’t mean the rest of your page has to join the party. Let your content breathe.
It’s okay to do less
You don’t need animations on every scroll interaction. In fact, the original Framer University homepage was hardly animated at all! Later, subtle effects were added just to guide the user gently. And honestly? That’s all it needed.
Even if you’ve got a looping video or carousel going on in the background, that doesn’t mean the rest of your page has to join the party. Let your content breathe.
It’s okay to do less
You don’t need animations on every scroll interaction. In fact, the original Framer University homepage was hardly animated at all! Later, subtle effects were added just to guide the user gently. And honestly? That’s all it needed.
Even if you’ve got a looping video or carousel going on in the background, that doesn’t mean the rest of your page has to join the party. Let your content breathe.
Contrasting animations.
Contrasting animations.
Contrasting animations.
So, when should you use effects?
To guide attention
To create small moments of delight
To highlight important sections
To break up content and add rhythm
Just make sure it always serves the user experience—not distracts from it.
Wrapping up
Framer is a powerful tool, but the real power comes from knowing when not to use all the bells and whistles. Less is more, and subtlety often wins.
So next time you’re adding effects, pause and ask: Is this helping the user? Or just showing off the tool?
Keep your effects intentional. Use them to enhance your site, not overpower it.
So, when should you use effects?
To guide attention
To create small moments of delight
To highlight important sections
To break up content and add rhythm
Just make sure it always serves the user experience—not distracts from it.
Wrapping up
Framer is a powerful tool, but the real power comes from knowing when not to use all the bells and whistles. Less is more, and subtlety often wins.
So next time you’re adding effects, pause and ask: Is this helping the user? Or just showing off the tool?
Keep your effects intentional. Use them to enhance your site, not overpower it.
So, when should you use effects?
To guide attention
To create small moments of delight
To highlight important sections
To break up content and add rhythm
Just make sure it always serves the user experience—not distracts from it.
Wrapping up
Framer is a powerful tool, but the real power comes from knowing when not to use all the bells and whistles. Less is more, and subtlety often wins.
So next time you’re adding effects, pause and ask: Is this helping the user? Or just showing off the tool?
Keep your effects intentional. Use them to enhance your site, not overpower it.
