Thanks for highlighting the "one element cross fades into a totally different one" example. That particular type of animation really makes an app feel ungrounded and unreliable to me, it gives a sense that the UI elements aren't really tied closely to the data and are just barely existing. And somehow I see it all the time across tons of apps.
The improved versions where the elements actually transform into each other, sharing the same visual real estate, is so much better.
The improved versions where the elements actually transform into each other, sharing the same visual real estate, is so much better.