A visitor arrives with a task.
They may want to understand a service, compare an option or find someone to speak to. If they have to scrub through a long visual sequence before any of those things become clear, the presentation is asking for attention before it has earned it.
Some experiences that look like interactive 3D are videos controlled by scroll position. That can be a sensible production technique. The material is less important than whether the experience helps the visitor understand or do something.
Give the motion a job.
Use it to reveal how a product works, clarify a transition or give a brand a recognisable personality. A short atmospheric loop can do that without taking control of the whole page. A technical demonstration may deserve more space when the movement is the explanation.
- Can someone explain the offer from the first screen?
- Is the main action available without watching the sequence?
- Does normal scrolling still move through the content?
- Can the animation pause, and is reduced motion respected?
- Does the mobile experience retain the same meaning?
Judge it at the point of contact.
Our test is simple: after the visual moment, is the visitor better informed? If the answer is no, shorten it or remove it. A memorable website and a useful business website should be the same thing.