Shared Animation Assets

Shared animation assets are animation files that work across multiple platforms from a single source. Rather than creating separate animations for iOS, Android, and web, teams maintain one animation file that all platforms can play. This approach ensures motion consistency and reduces duplication of design effort.

What Are Shared Animation Assets

Shared animation assets use file formats playable by libraries on multiple platforms. Lottie JSON files, Rive .riv files, and other cross-platform formats enable creating an animation once and deploying it everywhere.

The sharing approach differs from native animations where each platform has separate implementation. Shared assets ensure exact visual consistency because all platforms render the same source file. Native approaches may result in subtle differences even when attempting to match motion.

Design systems benefit from shared assets for complex animations that would be difficult to exactly replicate across platforms. Simple animations may not need shared assets if native implementation achieves equivalent results easily.

How Shared Animation Assets Work

Asset creation happens in design tools supporting cross-platform export. After Effects with Bodymovin exports Lottie. Rive editor exports .riv format. These tools generate single files containing complete animation data.

Shared Animation Asset Workflow:

Creation:
1. Design animation in source tool (AE, Rive)
2. Export to shareable format (JSON, .riv)
3. Validate playback on all target platforms
4. Optimize for file size and performance

Distribution:

Option 1: Package with components
- Animation files bundled in design system packages
- Each platform package includes appropriate format

Option 2: Separate animation package
- Animations in dedicated package/repository
- Platform implementations depend on this package

Option 3: CDN delivery
- Animations hosted on CDN
- Apps download at runtime
- Caching reduces repeat downloads

Asset Organization:
/animations
  /loading
    spinner.json
    progress.riv
  /transitions
    page-enter.json
    modal-appear.json
  /illustrations
    onboarding-1.json
    empty-state.riv

Platform libraries render shared assets. Lottie libraries exist for iOS, Android, web, React Native, and Flutter. Rive has similar coverage. Each library interprets the shared format using platform-native rendering.

Distribution mechanisms deliver assets to applications. Assets might bundle with components, live in separate packages, or download from CDN at runtime. The distribution approach affects bundle size and loading behavior.

Key Considerations

• Format selection affects tool requirements and capabilities
• Not all animation features may work across all platforms
• Performance varies by platform and animation complexity
• File size impacts bundle size or download time
• Version management ensures platform consistency
• Testing must cover all target platforms

Common Questions

How do teams decide which animations to share versus implement natively?

Complex illustrative animations benefit most from sharing. Character animation, elaborate transitions, and branded motion sequences are difficult to exactly replicate natively. Sharing ensures consistency.

Simple functional animations may not need sharing. Basic fade, slide, and scale transitions are easy to implement natively. The overhead of shared assets is unnecessary.

Interactive animations with state machines favor Rive sharing. Complex interactive animations are easier to manage through Rive’s state machines than coordinating platform-specific implementations.

Performance-critical animations need evaluation. Test shared asset performance against native implementation. If native significantly outperforms, the consistency benefit may not justify performance cost.

How should design systems version shared animation assets?

Semantic versioning applies to animation packages. Major versions for breaking changes (animation removed or significantly altered). Minor versions for additions. Patch versions for fixes.

Changelog documentation tracks animation changes. What changed, why, and what migration might be needed.

Deprecation notices prepare consumers for removal. Animations scheduled for removal should be marked deprecated well in advance.

Version pinning allows consumers to control updates. Applications can pin to specific animation versions, updating on their schedule.

Coordinated release with components ensures compatibility. If a component requires specific animation versions, releases should be coordinated.

What testing validates shared animation asset consistency?

Visual comparison across platforms reveals differences. Record or screenshot animations on each platform and compare. Differences may indicate rendering issues.

Performance testing across platforms ensures acceptable playback. Test on representative device range for each platform, especially lower-end devices.

Regression testing catches unintended changes. Visual regression testing can compare current animations against baselines.

User testing validates that animations serve their intended purpose. Do loading animations feel appropriate? Do transitions aid understanding?

Summary

Shared animation assets enable cross-platform motion consistency through single-source animation files playable on multiple platforms. Lottie and Rive provide the most common sharing formats. Design systems should share complex animations where consistency matters while potentially implementing simple animations natively. Version management, distribution strategy, and cross-platform testing ensure shared assets serve all platforms effectively.