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Stop Scrolling: Kinetic Typography Is Redefining UX

Philippe H.

July 25, 2025

“Have you noticed that text doesn’t just sit still anymore?”

Scroll through any modern website or app and you’ll see it: words that slide, bounce, stretch, shrink, fade in and out. It’s not just eye candy. That motion you’re seeing? It has a name: kinetic typography. And in 2025, it’s not just back, it’s better, smarter, and more important than ever in how we communicate digitally.

This isn’t just about making things “look cool.” It’s about making messages stick, guiding attention, and delivering meaning with motion. So let’s dive into what kinetic typography really is, why it’s having such a moment, and how to use it well.

What Is Kinetic Typography?

Kinetic typography is just a fancy way of saying “moving text.” But don’t let the simplicity fool you, it’s an art and a science. The term itself has roots in film, especially opening title sequences from legends like Saul Bass (think: Hitchcock’s Psycho) where text moved across the screen to create emotion and tone before the story even started.

As websites evolved from static HTML pages to immersive experiences, motion became a tool, one that, when used thoughtfully, could guide users, tell stories, and even teach.

Today, kinetic typography comes in all flavors:

• Sometimes it’s so subtle you barely notice—like letters that slightly spread apart when you hover, giving you a satisfying sense of interactivity.
• Other times, it’s bold and theatrical—think bold headlines that swoop into place when you scroll or app intros with animated words that pulse and fade like they’re breathing.
• And then there’s functional motion—like animated tooltips that gently slide in with tips or micro-instructions that appear just when you need them, making digital learning feel intuitive.

This variety is part of what makes kinetic typography so powerful: it’s not just visual, it’s functional.

Why It’s Trending Again in 2025

Let’s be real: motion has always been around. So why does kinetic typography feel so fresh again?

One word: technology.

Front-end frameworks like GSAP, Framer Motion, and even native CSS support are now more robust than ever. Smooth motion doesn’t take weeks of custom code anymore, it’s easier to create and easier to control.

And don’t forget the influence of AI. Motion design tools like Adobe Express, Rive, or even Figma plugins now use AI to auto-suggest animations based on your layout or tone. Suddenly, a one-person team can design transitions that used to require a full animation studio.

Also: social media. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, everything is moving. That aesthetic has trained users to expect motion everywhere. If your landing page or product doesn’t feel alive? It might feel outdated.

How Motion Actually Improves UX

Kinetic typography isn’t just for show. It changes how we experience information.

Imagine you’re onboarding into a new app. You’re met with a page of text, all static. It’s hard to know where to start, what to read, what matters most.

Now imagine the same screen, but the headline fades in first. Then the subtext slides up. Finally, a little arrow pulses at the “Next” button. Your brain doesn’t have to work, it just follows the flow.

That’s motion doing its job.

Kinetic typography:

• Directs attention in cluttered interfaces. In a noisy design, animation becomes a natural spotlight.
• Paces storytelling by controlling when and how text appears, it guides emotion. Think of Apple product launches: each word is choreographed like a scene in a movie.
• Delights users with tiny, joyful interactions. A bounce here, a wiggle there, it makes the interface feel alive and responsive.
• Teaches through movement. Duolingo nails this. Get a question right, and your reward dances across the screen, reinforcing positive feedback with motion.
• Helps neurodivergent users. For those with ADHD or sensory processing differences, a little motion can be grounding, it tells the brain, “this matters.” But it must be used with care (we’ll get to that in a second).

The Right Way to Use It (Without Going Overboard)

Kinetic typography walks a fine line between clarity and chaos. Use it well, and your users feel guided. Use it poorly, and they feel overwhelmed.

Here’s what smart designers do:

• Design with intent. Every motion should have a job whether it’s drawing attention, offering feedback, or reinforcing a message. Random swooshes? That’s just noise.
• Honor accessibility. Some users get motion sickness or sensory overload. Always respect “reduced motion” settings in OS or browser preferences.
• Keep it consistent. A mix of springy bounces, slow fades, and sharp cuts might look cool in isolation, but together? It’s like putting jazz, metal, and classical in the same song. Pick a vibe and stick to it.
• Less is more. Motion is like seasoning, just enough brings out flavor. Too much? It ruins the dish.

Remember when early websites had blinking neon text and spinning gifs everywhere? Yeah. Let’s not go back to that.

Real-Life Examples You’ve Probably Seen

Let’s ground this in the real world.

• Apple does it best. Open their product pages. The text isn’t static, it flows in, it stretches, it syncs with scroll. You feel the luxury of the product through motion alone.

• Duolingo gets kinetic with learning. You answer a quiz question, and a cute owl dances with glowing words. It’s silly, but it works, motion boosts your dopamine, reinforcing habit loops.

• Airbnb revamped their onboarding. Instead of dropping users into a wall of instructions, they now guide you step-by-step, with words that move in harmony with visuals. You’re not reading, you’re experiencing.

These aren’t just pretty effects. They’re crafted experiences where motion is communication.

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Final Thoughts: Motion That Means Something

Kinetic typography has grown up.

It’s not just a trend. It’s a design language, a way to speak more clearly, emotionally, and effectively through motion. When done right, it’s like watching a story unfold, not just reading it.

So if you’re building something in 2025, a landing page, an app, a brand, don’t just think about what your words say. Think about how they move. Because the motion of your message could be what makes it stick.

And hey, if it feels good to the user? Even better. That’s the power of kinetic typography.