5 Best Animation Courses to Create Engaging Interfaces for Interactive Designers

Creating seamless and engaging user interfaces is crucial for all types of businesses, given the increasing usage of online media platforms. As an interactive designer, you are not just responsible for crafting static visuals; you are responsible to offer an interactive experience to the user, and one of the most powerful tools in your design arsenal is animation. Whether it’s a subtle hover effect, a page transition, or a complex interactive animation, adding movement can elevate a design from good to unforgettable.

But how do you master this art of animation to transform your interfaces? This is where animation courses come in. You can seek the help of these courses to learn the latest and most trending techniques and tools to incorporate animation effectively into your designs, helping you create functional but delightful and memorable interfaces. To help you in your quest, we have listed some handpicked online animation courses to help you create winning interfaces.

Why Should Interactive Designers Take Animation Courses?

Here are some key reasons why interactive designers should consider taking animation courses:

1. Improve User Experience (UX): Animation makes designs more interactive and intuitive. With the addition of movement and transitions in your creations, you can lead users through a more interactive and enjoyable experience. By learning animation, you can create smooth, visually pleasing user interactions.
2. Differentiate Yourself in a Competitive Job Market: Most designers are familiar with the fundamentals of visual design, but few possess the ability to incorporate animation. Acquiring animation skills makes you stand out from other applicants, and employers find you more desirable.  
3. Boost Creativity and Visual Storytelling: Animation helps you make your ideas come to life. Knowing how to animate features allows you to convey stories, feelings, and messages more effectively. 
4. Learn the Technology Involved in Animations: Learning animation will also help you better understand how animations are implemented, which is helpful when collaborating with developers. You'll be able to communicate your design intentions more effectively and appreciate the technical limitations.
5. Design More Compelling Content for Digital Media: Animation is used extensively in web and mobile design today, particularly in advertising, banners, and social media. These courses would enable you to create richer content that captures users' attention and drives engagement.
6. Future-Proof Your Career: Animation is increasingly being incorporated into interactive design with the ever-changing digital landscape. Studying animation ensures your skills remain relevant as emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), continue to gain momentum.

Top Animation Courses for Interactive Designers

1. Introduction to Programming and Animation with Alice by Coursera
2. Animation with JavaScript and jQuery by Coursera
3. Adobe Photoshop Animation & Motion Graphics Course by Udemy
4. Animating With Ease in Adobe After Effects by Skillshare
5. Adobe Animate Essentials: 2D Animation Fundamentals by Skillshare

1. Introduction to Programming and Animation with Alice by Coursera

This course covers programming by animation with Alice, a 3D programming system for beginners. It covers basic storytelling using animated scenes, wherein students create settings, move the camera, and manipulate objects. Throughout the course, students will learn basic programming concepts such as writing directions, looping, making choices, and arranging objects. The second half is event-driven programming, in which students develop interactive 3D games from their learned skills.

USPs:

•  Beginner-friendly introduction to programming with a visual, interactive approach.
•  Covers fundamental programming concepts through hands-on storytelling and animation.
•  Guides learners to develop 3D animated games using event programming.

Course Name	Introduction to Programming and Animation with Alice
Duration	47 Hours
Provider	Coursera
Course Fee	Subscription Based - ₹4,202/month
Trainers	Susan H. Rodger; Stephen Cooper - Duke University
Skills Gained	Computer Programming, Computer Graphics
Students Enrolled	21,238
Course Ratings	4.2/5

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2. Animation with JavaScript and jQuery by Coursera

This course explores JavaScript's animation features and covers the jQuery library to make development easier. It discusses manipulating web page content using the Document Object Model (DOM), applying dynamic effects, and improving user experience. Students will finish a landing page project with jQuery at the end of the course and enhance their web animation skills.

USPs:

•  Teaches JavaScript and jQuery animation for interactive web pages.
•  Hands-on project to build a landing page with animation effects.
•  Focuses on practical DOM manipulation techniques for web development.

Course Name	Animation with JavaScript and jQuery
Duration	13 Hours
Provider	Coursera
Course Fee	Subscription Based - ₹4,202/month
Trainers	William Mead, Lecturer - University of California, Davis
Skills Gained	Computer Programming, Programming Principles, Web Development, HTML and CSS
Students Enrolled	10,013
Course Ratings	4.8/5

3. Adobe Photoshop Animation & Motion Graphics Course by Udemy

The Adobe Photoshop Animation & Motion Graphics course enables students to create animations and motion graphics using Adobe Photoshop CC. The course covers the basics of animation, creating GIFs, and exporting high-quality videos. Students learn by doing real-world projects to master skills in digital animation, animated illustrations, and motion effects. It is best suited for designers and content creators who need to incorporate animation in their graphics.

USPs:

•  Learn to create animations, GIFs, and motion graphics in Photoshop CC.
•  Covers professional animation techniques for marketing and social media content.
•  Hands-on projects to build practical skills in motion design.

Course Name	Adobe Photoshop Animation & Motion Graphics
Duration	3.5 Hours
Provider	Udemy
Course Fee	₹1,799
Trainers	Phil Ebiner, Tony Ros - Video School
Skills Gained	Animation, Motion Graphics, Adobe Photoshop
Students Enrolled	400
Course Ratings	4.6/5

Learn Animation without paying any cost with these free Animation Courses & Certifications Online

4. Animating With Ease in Adobe After Effects by Skillshare

This course assists students in enhancing their animation workflow with After Effects' Graph Editor. It instructs students on managing motion, fine-tuning keyframes, and producing fluid animations. The course features a practical project in which students design and animate a house into a looping GIF. Topics covered are speed graphs, motion paths, and keyframe techniques for making fluid animations.

USPs:

•  Focus on graph editor techniques for smooth and professional animation.
•  Hands-on project to create a seamless looping animation.
•  Covers motion paths, keyframes, and animation refinement.

Course Name	Animating With Ease in Adobe After Effects
Duration	1 Hour
Provider	Skillshare
Course Fee	Free for first 30 days. After that, monthly membership: $32/month
Trainers	Jake Bartlett, Motion Designer
Skills Gained	Animation, Motion Graphics, Adobe Photoshop

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5. Adobe Animate Essentials: 2D Animation Fundamentals by Skillshare

In this course, your instructor, Toniko will walk you through Adobe Animate, drawing from his professional animation experience. You will discover animation fundamentals, such as weight, squash and stretch, timing, and how to create a more natural feeling in your animations by slowing down or speeding up movement. You will learn how to transition between various animation positions smoothly and animate simple objects, such as a bouncing ball, using onion skin and the library. In addition, you will also learn useful tips and tricks on working with Adobe Animate.

USPs:

• Create animations in real-time, mastering core principles.
• Unlock valuable tricks and shortcuts.
• Equips learners with the skills necessary to pursue jobs in animation, VFX, and digital content creation.

Course Name	Adobe Animate Essentials: 2D Animation Fundamentals
Duration	3 Hours
Provider	Skillshare
Course Fee	Free for the first 30 days. After that, monthly membership: $32/month
Trainers	Toniko Pantoja, 2D Animator, Character Designer
Skills Gained	VFX, Animation, Motion Graphics, Adobe Photoshop

Conclusion

Mastering animation is vital for interactive designers looking to design captivating and dynamic user interfaces. Using animation in your designs, you can make the user experience more exciting, stand out in the job market, and even unleash creativity. The above-listed animation courses will help you learn different techniques and tools of animation. Whether you want to sharpen your designing skills or future-proof your career, these animation courses will enable you to take your designs to the next level and craft excellent interactive experiences. You can also consider taking these free online courses from top providers.