Designing a first impression
People decide quickly whether a website feels considered. The details they notice are rarely the ones we expect.
Before anyone reads a headline, they register type, spacing, and rhythm. These signals set expectations for everything that follows.
A good first screen answers three questions without asking: who is this, what do they do, and why should I keep scrolling.
Motion can help, but only when it explains something. Animation that only decorates tends to slow people down.