Animated Speech Bubbles: Make Speech Bubbles Pop Up and Disappear Randomly with CSS

Speech bubbles are a popular design element used to display text in an engaging and interactive way. Adding animation to speech bubbles can make them even more visually appealing and eye-catching. In this article, we will explore how to create animated speech bubbles using CSS, without the need for JavaScript. Specifically, we will focus on making the speech bubbles pop up and disappear randomly, giving a dynamic effect to the user interface.

Creating the Speech Bubble Structure

To begin, let’s create the basic structure of the speech bubble using HTML and CSS. We will use the ::before and ::after pseudo-elements to create the tail and body of the speech bubble. Here’s an example:

HTML:

[code]
<div class=”speech-bubble”>
<div class=”message”>Hello!</div>
</div>
[/code]

CSS:

[code]
.speech-bubble {
position: relative;
display: inline-block;
}

.speech-bubble::before,
.speech-bubble::after {
content: “”;
position: absolute;
display: block;
width: 0;
height: 0;
border-style: solid;
}

.speech-bubble::before {
border-color: transparent transparent #ffffff transparent;
border-width: 10px;
bottom: -20px;
left: 50%;
transform: translateX(-50%);
}

.speech-bubble::after {
border-color: transparent transparent #cccccc transparent;
border-width: 12px;
bottom: -18px;
left: 50%;
transform: translateX(-50%);
}
[/code]

In the above code, we define a `.speech-bubble` class that serves as the container for our speech bubble. The `::before` and `::after` pseudo-elements are used to create the tail and body of the bubble, respectively. The dimensions, colors, and positioning can be adjusted as per your preference.

Adding Animation to the Speech Bubbles

Now, let’s add the animation to make the speech bubbles pop up and disappear randomly. We can achieve this effect by using CSS keyframes and the `animation` property. Here’s an example:

CSS:

[code]
@keyframes pop-up {
0% {
transform: scale(0);
opacity: 0;
}
50% {
transform: scale(1.2);
opacity: 1;
}
100% {
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 1;
}
}

@keyframes disappear {
0% {
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 1;
}
50% {
transform: scale(0.8);
opacity: 0.5;
}
100% {
transform: scale(0);
opacity: 0;
}
}

.speech-bubble {
animation: pop-up 1s ease-in-out infinite;
}

.speech-bubble:hover {
animation: disappear 1s ease-in-out forwards;
}
[/code]

In the above code, we define two keyframes animations: `pop-up` and `disappear`. The `pop-up` animation gradually scales the speech bubble from 0 to 1.2, while increasing its opacity. The `disappear` animation scales the speech bubble from 1 to 0, while reducing its opacity.

We apply the `pop-up` animation to the speech bubble by default, using the `.speech-bubble` class. This will make the bubbles continuously pop up and appear on the screen.

Additionally, we add the `disappear` animation when the user hovers over the speech bubble. This animation will play once and keep the bubble hidden after the animation completes, thanks to the `forwards` value.

Feel free to customize the animation timings, durations, and easing functions to achieve the desired effect.

In this article, we explored how to create animated speech bubbles using CSS, without the need for JavaScript. By adding animation to speech bubbles, we can make them pop up and disappear randomly, creating an engaging and dynamic user interface.

We started by creating the basic structure of the speech bubble using HTML and CSS. Then, we added animation to the speech bubbles using CSS keyframes and the `animation` property. The `pop-up` animation made the bubbles appear on the screen, while the `disappear` animation hid them after the user interaction.

Remember, you can further enhance and customize these animations by adjusting various properties like scale, opacity, and timing functions.

With the techniques learned in this article, you can create visually appealing speech bubbles that captivate your audience and add a touch of interactivity to your web designs.