Liquid Letter Distortion.

/* Liquid Letter Distortion — Characters skew and wobble like type on a moving surface. */
.liquid-letter-distortion {
  --dur: 3s;
  --ease: ease-in-out;
  --stagger: 60ms;
  will-change: transform, opacity;
}

.liquid-letter-distortion > * {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(14px);
  animation: liquid-letter-distortion-in var(--dur) var(--ease) forwards;
  animation-delay: calc(var(--i, 0) * var(--stagger));
}

/* unskewed characters -> applying alternating skewY and translateY offsets along the word */
@keyframes liquid-letter-distortion-in {
  to {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: none;
    filter: none;
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .liquid-letter-distortion > * {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: none;
    animation: none;
  }
}

import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";

/** Liquid Letter Distortion — trigger: hover, or a slow ambient loop while in view */
export function LiquidLetterDistortion({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  const ref = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const el = ref.current;
    if (!el) return;
    if (window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches) {
      el.dataset["state"] = "in";
      return;
    }
    const io = new IntersectionObserver(
      ([entry]) => {
        if (entry?.isIntersecting) {
          el.dataset["state"] = "in";
          io.unobserve(el);
        }
      },
      { threshold: 0.2 },
    );
    io.observe(el);
    return () => io.disconnect();
  }, []);

  return (
    <div ref={ref} className="liquid-letter-distortion" data-state="out">
      {children}
    </div>
  );
}