Disney's 12 animation principles, codified in 1981, solve a problem modern UI developers keep rediscovering: CSS transitions feel mechanical because they ignore how physical objects actually move.
Squash and stretch is the most fundamental of the 12 principles. Applied to SVG micro-interactions, it means deforming an element's shape during motion, compressing on impact, elongating on acceleration. The result is motion that reads as weight and mass, not just position change. The technique requires no external libraries, only SVG attribute manipulation and easing functions you already have.
The original piece walks through specific implementation patterns, not just theory. If you have ever shipped an animation that technically worked but felt wrong to users, this is the diagnostic you need.
[READ ORIGINAL →]