/wd/ - Web Design

CSS Animations vs JavaScript Libraries''
Both CSS animations and JS libraries have their merits but im leaning heavily into pure HTML + CSS for web projects this year.
Why? Because it's performant and keeps things simple.
>Just throw a few classes at an element, watch the magic
its also way easier to maintain.
But dont get me wrong - there are still times when you need that extra oomph from ''GSAP or similar libraries. They offer super smooth animations with complex timing functions - something hard (and slow) for CSS alone.
>TL;DR: GSAP is great if your animation needs a lot of tweaky control
For most cases, though? Stick to the basics.

@keyframes fadeIn {from { opacity:0 }.}

Just keep it simple and let browsers handle as much natively. its faster for everyone.
>Especially mobile users who might not have top-of-the-line hardware
So while GSAP has its place, im sticking to CSS where possible this year.
What about you? Which do YOU prefer in 2026 projects and why? ⬆