State & Feedback Animation — Reference
Morph
The Morph is a pure-CSS loading animation that a shape-morphing loader that smoothly transitions between geometric forms by animating border-radius and rotation. Use it when you want a visually interesting alternative to standard spinners. It requires no JavaScript, runs entirely on the GPU via CSS transforms, and communicates application state clearly without blocking the browser's main thread.
When to use the Morph
- Content loading placeholders in data-heavy dashboards
- Communicating async operations like API fetches or file uploads
- Replacing blank screens during server-side rendering hydration
- Inline loading states within tables, feeds, or infinite-scroll lists
Performance characteristics
- GPU-accelerated — uses CSS transform and opacity so compositing happens off the main thread
- Zero JavaScript dependency in most configurations — no framework, no bundler required
- Approximately 60 fps on any device that supports CSS animations (Chrome 43+, Firefox 16+, Safari 9+)
- Typically under 2 KB of CSS — negligible impact on Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
How it compares
Unlike JavaScript spinners rendered with requestAnimationFrame loops, the Morph runs on the GPU compositor thread, meaning a blocked main thread — caused by heavy data processing or framework hydration — will not freeze or jank the animation.
Compared to GIF loading indicators, this CSS approach uses roughly 95% less bandwidth and scales crisp at every pixel density, including HiDPI and Retina displays.
Source code
CSS
.morph {
width: 48px; height: 48px;
background: #14b8a6;
border-radius: 10%;
animation: morph 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
}
@keyframes morph {
0%, 100% { border-radius: 10%; transform: rotate(0deg); }
50% { border-radius: 90%; transform: rotate(180deg); }
}
body { margin: 0; min-height: 100vh; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; background: #0f0f0f; }HTML
<div class="morph"></div>Full source
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
.morph {
width: 48px; height: 48px;
background: #14b8a6;
border-radius: 10%;
animation: morph 1.5s ease-in-out infinite;
}
@keyframes morph {
0%, 100% { border-radius: 10%; transform: rotate(0deg); }
50% { border-radius: 90%; transform: rotate(180deg); }
}
body { margin: 0; min-height: 100vh; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; background: #0f0f0f; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="morph"></div>
</body>
</html>Frequently asked questions
How do I add the Morph to my project?
Copy the full source code from the code block on this page. Paste the <style> block into your stylesheet (or a <style> tag in your HTML head) and the HTML markup into your template. No npm install or build step is required — the animation is self-contained. To customize colors, speed, or size, use Grepped's workspace at grepped.dev/animations/state-feedback/morph.
Is the Morph free to use?
Yes. All Grepped preset animations are free to use in personal and commercial projects. You may copy, modify, and redistribute the code without attribution. The only limitation is that you may not resell the presets themselves as part of a competing animation library.
Does the Morph work on mobile browsers?
Yes. The Morph uses standard CSS animations and transforms that are supported in all modern mobile browsers — Chrome for Android, Safari on iOS 9+, Samsung Internet, and Firefox for Android. Where JavaScript is used for interactivity (e.g. cursor effects), it falls back gracefully on touch devices.
Can I customize the Morph's colors, speed, or size?
Yes. Open the live customization workspace at grepped.dev/animations/state-feedback/morph to adjust the animation with real-time sliders, color pickers, and toggles — no code required. For deeper changes, the source code uses CSS custom properties (variables) so you can edit them directly in your stylesheet.
Want to customize this animation or generate a new one from a text prompt?
Open in Workspace — it's free