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media-publishing skill

/skills/08-by-industry/media-publishing

This skill helps publishers apply Disney's animation principles to media experiences, enhancing readability without distraction.

npx playbooks add skill dylantarre/animation-principles --skill media-publishing

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: media-publishing
description: Use when designing animations for news sites, content platforms, publishing apps, or media consumption experiences
---

# Media & Publishing Animation Principles

Apply Disney's 12 principles to create immersive reading experiences that enhance content without distracting from it.

## The 12 Principles Applied

### 1. Squash & Stretch
- **Very Minimal**: Content is serious, not playful
- **Bookmark Icon**: Subtle press feedback
- **Share Buttons**: Light tactile response

### 2. Anticipation
- **Article Load**: Skeleton hints at content structure
- **Image Reveal**: Brief preparation before full quality
- **Next Story**: Preview of upcoming content

### 3. Staging
- **Content First**: Article text is always primary
- **Media Integration**: Images/video support, not distract
- **Navigation**: Minimal, reveals on scroll

### 4. Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose
- **Reading Scroll**: Continuous smooth flow (straight ahead)
- **Section Navigation**: Jump to defined sections (pose to pose)
- **Slideshows**: Clear frame transitions

### 5. Follow Through & Overlapping Action
- **Parallax Images**: Background moves slower than text
- **Pull to Refresh**: Content follows indicator
- **Article Cards**: Image loads, then headline appears

### 6. Slow In & Slow Out
- **Page Transitions**: Smooth, never jarring reading
- **Modal Opens**: Comfortable 300-350ms
- **Menu Reveals**: Elegant ease-in-out

### 7. Arc
- **Scroll Progress**: Curved indicator paths
- **Share Sheet**: Options arc into view
- **Swipe Navigation**: Natural curved gestures

### 8. Secondary Action
- **Save Article**: Subtle confirmation animation
- **Loading Images**: Shimmer while fetching
- **Audio Player**: Waveform while playing

### 9. Timing
- **Unobtrusive**: 200-300ms standard transitions
- **Reading Flow**: Never interrupt consumption
- **Interactive Elements**: Quick 150ms feedback

### 10. Exaggeration
- **Avoid Mostly**: News/content requires credibility
- **Breaking News**: Appropriate urgency only
- **Feature Stories**: Subtle dramatic reveals

### 11. Solid Drawing
- **Typography Excellence**: Perfect text rendering
- **Image Quality**: Crisp media at all sizes
- **Layout Consistency**: Reliable grid systems

### 12. Appeal
- **Elegant Restraint**: Premium publication feel
- **Brand Voice**: Motion matches editorial tone
- **Readability Focus**: Animations serve content

## Industry Timing Standards

| Action | Duration | Easing |
|--------|----------|--------|
| Page Transition | 300ms | ease-in-out |
| Image Load | 250ms | ease-out |
| Menu Open | 250ms | ease-out |
| Share Action | 200ms | ease-out |
| Scroll Indicator | 150ms | ease-out |

## Key Principle
The content is king. All animation exists to enhance readability and content discovery, never to showcase design. Motion should feel invisible while reading.

Overview

This skill guides designers and engineers on applying Disney's 12 animation principles to media and publishing products. It focuses on subtle, purposeful motion that enhances readability, supports content discovery, and preserves editorial credibility. The goal is to make motion feel invisible while improving user comprehension and flow.

How this skill works

The skill maps each animation principle to common publishing patterns—page loads, image reveals, navigation, share flows, and inline media. It prescribes timings, easings, and behavioral rules so animations remain unobtrusive and content-first. Practical rulesets include durations (150–350ms), easing choices, and specific component behaviors like parallax, skeletons, and microfeedback.

When to use it

  • Designing article and story interfaces where text clarity is vital
  • Implementing image, video, and audio reveals in news or magazine apps
  • Building navigation, share, and save interactions for publishing platforms
  • Creating loading states and skeleton screens that hint at structure
  • Polishing transitions for feature stories, galleries, and slideshows

Best practices

  • Prioritize content: animations must never compete with text or multimedia
  • Use minimal squash & stretch and avoid exaggerated motion for credibility
  • Standardize timing: 150–350ms ranges with ease-in-out or ease-out curves
  • Combine straight-ahead flow for reading and pose-to-pose for quick jumps
  • Layer motion: use follow-through and overlapping action for natural feel
  • Ensure typography and layout consistency before adding motion

Example use cases

  • Article load: show a skeleton that anticipates structure, then reveal images with a 250ms ease-out
  • Share sheet: arc-in options with 200ms ease-out to signal non-intrusive actions
  • Scroll experience: parallax backgrounds move slower than text and a curved progress indicator tracks reading
  • Modal interactions: open modals at 300–350ms with slow in/out easing for comfortable context shifts
  • Save and bookmark: subtle confirmation micro-animations to reinforce action without disrupting reading

FAQ

How aggressive should animations be in news apps?

Keep animations restrained. Use subtle feedback for interactive elements and reserve stronger motion only for urgent or feature content.

What are the recommended timing standards?

Use 150ms for quick feedback, 200–300ms for common transitions, and 300–350ms for full page or modal shifts, with ease-in-out or ease-out curves.