Speed as a Feature

Fast feels good.
Slow feels broken.

That is true for elevators, websites, apps, everything.
We don’t often say it, but speed is a feature.
It shapes how people feel about what you build.

Perceived speed vs real speed

Sometimes you can’t make the system faster.
But you can make it feel faster.

That is perceived speed.
The trick is to never leave people waiting without feedback.

Examples:

• Show a loading spinner right away.

• Use skeleton screens so the layout feels ready.

• Optimistic updates - change the UI before the server replies.

// Optimistic update example
const likeBtn = document.getElementById("like");

likeBtn.addEventListener("click", async () => {
  // Change UI instantly
  likeBtn.textContent = "Liked";
  likeBtn.disabled = true;

  try {
    await fetch("/api/like", { method: "POST" });
  } catch (e) {
    // Rollback if it failed
    likeBtn.textContent = "Like";
    likeBtn.disabled = false;
  }
});

Small wins that add up

• Compress images. A 5 MB hero image kills speed.

• Use modern formats like WebP or AVIF.

• Lazy load images below the fold.

• Bundle and minify JavaScript and CSS.

• Cache assets aggressively.

<img src="photo.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Sample" />

That single loading="lazy" saves seconds on long pages.

Skeleton screens beat spinners

Spinners say: wait.
Skeletons say: here is the shape, content is coming.

<div class="skeleton"></div>
<div class="skeleton"></div>
<div class="skeleton"></div>

<style>
.skeleton {
  height: 20px;
  background: #eee;
  margin: 0.5rem 0;
  border-radius: 4px;
  animation: pulse 1.5s infinite;
}

@keyframes pulse {
  0% { opacity: 1; }
  50% { opacity: 0.4; }
  100% { opacity: 1; }
}
</style>

This feels faster even if the data takes the same time.

Speed is about trust

When an app feels slow, people doubt it.
They click twice. They refresh. They leave.

When it feels fast, they trust it.
They stay. They explore more. They come back.

A checklist for speed

• Keep pages under 2 seconds load if possible.

• Always show instant feedback on actions.

• Use skeletons instead of spinners.

• Preload or prefetch likely next steps.

• Measure with real devices, not just dev machines.

Speed is invisible when it works.
But people always feel it.
Make it a feature, not an afterthought.