The following principles were developed and named:
- Squash and Stretch - defining the rigidity and mass of an object by distorting its shape during an action
- Timing and Motion - spacing actions to define the weight and size of objects and the personality of characters
- Anticipation - the preparation for an action
- Staging - presenting an idea so that it is unmistakably clear
- Follow Through and Overlapping Action - the termination of an action and establishing its relationship to the next action
- Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action - The two contrasting approaches to the creation of movement
- Slow In and Out - the spacing of the in-between frames to achieve subtlety of timing and movement
- Arcs - the visual path of action for natural movement
- Exaggeration - Accentuating the essence of an idea via the design and the action
- Secondary Action - the action of an object resulting from another action
- Appeal - creating a design or an action that the audience enjoys watching
