Timing Functions and Feel

Two animations can move the same distance in the same amount of time and still feel completely different. Why? Because motion has timing. A timing function controls how fast the animation moves at each moment during its duration.

This matters because people read motion emotionally. A linear motion feels mechanical and constant. An ease-out motion feels more natural when something settles into place. An ease-in motion feels like something is building momentum. Timing is what turns motion from a raw movement into something expressive.