Even the most-visited websites in the world, like YouTube, use skeleton screens to make their apps feel faster.
When users open any app, a slow-loading screen or a blank page is not ideal. Skeleton screens solve this by showing a preview of your content while it loads.
Here's what skeleton screens are, why they're effective, and how you can add them to your app within seconds using Magic Patterns.
What are skeleton screens?
Skeleton screens are placeholders that mirror the structure of your content. Instead of a blank page or loading spinner, users see gray boxes that look like the final layout.
Why Skeleton Screens Work
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Speed: They make apps feel faster by showing placeholders instead of loading everything at once.
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Expectations: Skeletons outline what's coming, reducing user frustration.
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Engagement: A visual skeleton is more exciting than a static spinner.
Put only the content that needs to load behind a skeleton. For example, static content like your logo can just render normally. Don't go overboard with skeleton screens!
How to make a skeleton screen for your website:
You can use Magic Patterns, an AI design tool, to create a skeleton screen for your specific website in less than 5 minutes.
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Use the Magic Patterns Chrome Extension and visit the website that you want to make a skeleton screen for. In this instance, we are importing this screen of cards
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Go to the chat input and write a prompt, asking Magic Patterns to "convert this into a skeleton screen":
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Within seconds you will get a skeleton screen for your website. Here's an example on Magic Patterns:
Tips for Better Skeleton Screens:
- Match Your Layout: Skeletons should resemble your real content, but stay minimal. This is what makes Magic Patterns so powerful when making them. Otherwise, you need to do this manually.
- Test in Real Scenarios: Test skeleton screens across various devices, screen sizes, and internet speeds. Ensure they still look good on mobile!
- Optimize Performance: Skeleton screens should load quickly to maintain user engagement. Avoid using crazy animations.
Conclusion
Skeleton screens make apps feel faster. By replacing blank loading pages with engaging placeholders, you can keep users engaged while your app loads.
With Magic Patterns, you create skeleton screens easily by first importing your website using our Chrome Extension and then asking it to convert it into a skeleton screen.
If you're interested in using Magic Patterns to generate your own skeleton screen, start designing today!