diff --git a/src/components/login/login.jsx b/src/components/login/login.jsx
index 58586e5e5..2f4180398 100644
--- a/src/components/login/login.jsx
+++ b/src/components/login/login.jsx
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ class Login extends React.Component {
                             key="submitButton"
                             type="submit"
                         >
-                            <Spinner />
+                            <Spinner
+                                className="spinner"
+                                color="blue"
+                            />
                         </Button>
                     ] : [
                         <Button
diff --git a/src/components/login/login.scss b/src/components/login/login.scss
index a00cceae2..eda91147b 100644
--- a/src/components/login/login.scss
+++ b/src/components/login/login.scss
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     .spinner {
         margin: 0 .8rem;
         width: 1rem;
-        height: 1rem;
+        vertical-align: middle;
     }
 
     .submit-button {
diff --git a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/animate-hoc.jsx b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/animate-hoc.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9454ae5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/animate-hoc.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+const React = require('react');
+const PropTypes = require('prop-types');
+
+/**
+ * Higher-order component for building an animated studio button
+ * it is used to decorate the onToggleStudio function with noticing
+ * when the button has first been clicked.
+ * This is needed so the buttons don't play the animation when they are
+ * first rendered but when they are first clicked.
+ * @param  {React.Component} Component a studio button component
+ * @return {React.Component}           a wrapped studio button component
+ */
+
+const AnimateHOC = Component => {
+    class WrappedComponent extends React.Component {
+        constructor (props) {
+            super(props);
+
+            this.state = {
+                wasClicked: false
+            };
+
+            this.handleClick = this.handleClick.bind(this);
+        }
+        handleClick () {
+            this.setState({ // else tell the state that the button has been clicked
+                wasClicked: true
+            }, () => this.props.onClick(this.props.id)); // callback after state has been updated
+        }
+        render () {
+            const {wasClicked} = this.state;
+            return (<Component
+                {...this.props}
+                wasClicked={wasClicked}
+                onClick={this.handleClick}
+            />);
+        }
+    }
+
+    WrappedComponent.propTypes = {
+        id: PropTypes.number,
+        onClick: PropTypes.func
+    };
+
+    return WrappedComponent;
+};
+
+module.exports = AnimateHOC;
diff --git a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/modal.scss b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/modal.scss
index 4ec0bc71b..caa532bb4 100644
--- a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/modal.scss
+++ b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/modal.scss
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@
     pointer-events: none; /* pass clicks through to buttons underneath */
 }
 
-
 .studio-selector-button {
     display: flex;
     position: relative;
+    transition: all .5s;
     margin: .21875rem .21875rem;
     border-radius: .5rem;
     background-color: $ui-white;
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
     height: 2.5rem;
     box-sizing: border-box;
     justify-content: space-between;
+
 }
 
 .studio-selector-button-text {
@@ -164,30 +165,30 @@
     background-color: $ui-blue;
 }
 
-.studio-status-icon-plus-img {
+.studio-status-icon-plus-img,
+.studio-status-icon-checkmark-img {
+    animation-direction: normal;
     width: 1.4rem;
     height: 1.4rem;
+    transform-origin: center;
 }
 
-.studio-status-icon--img {
-    width: 1.4rem;
-    height: 1.4rem;
+.studio-status-icon-with-animation {
+    animation-name: bump;
+    animation-duration: .25s;
+    animation-timing-function: cubic-bezier(.3, -3, .6, 3);
+    animation-iteration-count: 1;
 }
 
-.action-button-text .spinner-smooth {
-    margin: .2125rem auto;
-    width: 1.875rem;
-    height: 1rem;
-}
-
-.studio-status-icon .spinner-smooth {
-    position: unset; /* don't understand why neither relative nor absolute work */
-}
-
-.studio-status-icon .spinner-smooth .circle {
-    /* overlay spinner on circle */
-    position: absolute;
-    margin: .1875rem; /* stay within boundaries of circle */
-    width: 75%; /* stay within boundaries of circle */
-    height: 75%; /* stay within boundaries of circle */
+@keyframes bump {
+    0% {
+        transform: scale(0);
+        opacity: 0;
+        -webkit-transform: scale(0);
+    }
+    100% {
+        transform: scale(1);
+        opacity: 1;
+        -webkit-transform: scale(1);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/presentation.jsx b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/presentation.jsx
index 29e8eedcc..168a26b7c 100644
--- a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/presentation.jsx
+++ b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/presentation.jsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const AddToStudioModalPresentation = ({
             includesProject={studio.includesProject}
             key={studio.id}
             title={studio.title}
-            onToggleStudio={onToggleStudio}
+            onClick={onToggleStudio}
         />
     ));
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ const AddToStudioModalPresentation = ({
                                     type="submit"
                                 >
                                     <div className="action-button-text">
-                                        <Spinner mode="smooth" />
+                                        <Spinner />
                                         <FormattedMessage id="addToStudio.finishing" />
                                     </div>
                                 </Button>
diff --git a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/studio-button.jsx b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/studio-button.jsx
index 3a19ac5de..bfeb35147 100644
--- a/src/components/modal/addtostudio/studio-button.jsx
+++ b/src/components/modal/addtostudio/studio-button.jsx
@@ -1,28 +1,36 @@
 const PropTypes = require('prop-types');
 const React = require('react');
 const classNames = require('classnames');
+
 const Spinner = require('../../spinner/spinner.jsx');
+const AnimateHOC = require('./animate-hoc.jsx');
 
 require('./modal.scss');
 
 const StudioButton = ({
     hasRequestOutstanding,
-    id,
     includesProject,
     title,
-    onToggleStudio
+    onClick,
+    wasClicked
 }) => {
     const checkmark = (
         <img
             alt="checkmark-icon"
-            className="studio-status-icon-checkmark-img"
+            className={classNames(
+                'studio-status-icon-checkmark-img',
+                {'studio-status-icon-with-animation': wasClicked}
+            )}
             src="/svgs/modal/confirm.svg"
         />
     );
     const plus = (
         <img
             alt="plus-icon"
-            className="studio-status-icon-plus-img"
+            className={classNames(
+                'studio-status-icon-plus-img',
+                {'studio-status-icon-with-animation': wasClicked}
+            )}
             src="/svgs/modal/add.svg"
         />
     );
@@ -34,8 +42,7 @@ const StudioButton = ({
                 {'studio-selector-button-selected':
                     includesProject && !hasRequestOutstanding}
             )}
-            data-id={id}
-            onClick={onToggleStudio}
+            onClick={onClick}
         >
             <div
                 className={classNames(
@@ -50,11 +57,11 @@ const StudioButton = ({
             <div
                 className={classNames(
                     'studio-status-icon',
-                    {'studio-status-icon-unselected': !includesProject}
+                    {'studio-status-icon-unselected': !includesProject && !hasRequestOutstanding}
                 )}
             >
                 {(hasRequestOutstanding ?
-                    (<Spinner mode="smooth" />) :
+                    <Spinner /> :
                     (includesProject ? checkmark : plus))}
             </div>
         </div>
@@ -63,10 +70,10 @@ const StudioButton = ({
 
 StudioButton.propTypes = {
     hasRequestOutstanding: PropTypes.bool,
-    id: PropTypes.number,
     includesProject: PropTypes.bool,
-    onToggleStudio: PropTypes.func,
-    title: PropTypes.string
+    onClick: PropTypes.func,
+    title: PropTypes.string,
+    wasClicked: PropTypes.bool
 };
 
-module.exports = StudioButton;
+module.exports = AnimateHOC(StudioButton);
diff --git a/src/components/modal/report/modal.jsx b/src/components/modal/report/modal.jsx
index 7271458fd..e376398f5 100644
--- a/src/components/modal/report/modal.jsx
+++ b/src/components/modal/report/modal.jsx
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ class ReportModal extends React.Component {
                                     >
                                         {isWaiting ? (
                                             <div className="action-button-text">
-                                                <Spinner mode="smooth" />
+                                                <Spinner />
                                                 <FormattedMessage id="report.sending" />
                                             </div>
                                         ) : (
diff --git a/src/components/spinner/spinner.jsx b/src/components/spinner/spinner.jsx
index 694f5a18e..cf723ba6c 100644
--- a/src/components/spinner/spinner.jsx
+++ b/src/components/spinner/spinner.jsx
@@ -1,29 +1,28 @@
-const range = require('lodash.range');
-const PropTypes = require('prop-types');
 const React = require('react');
+const PropTypes = require('prop-types');
+const classNames = require('classnames');
 
 require('./spinner.scss');
 
 // Adapted from http://tobiasahlin.com/spinkit/
 const Spinner = ({
-    mode
-}) => {
-    const spinnerClassName = (mode === 'smooth' ? 'spinner-smooth' : 'spinner');
-    const spinnerDivCount = (mode === 'smooth' ? 24 : 12);
-    return (
-        <div className={spinnerClassName}>
-            {range(1, spinnerDivCount + 1).map(id => (
-                <div
-                    className={`circle${id} circle`}
-                    key={`circle${id}`}
-                />
-            ))}
-        </div>
-    );
+    className,
+    color
+}) => (
+    <img
+        alt="loading animation"
+        className={classNames('studio-status-icon-spinner', className)}
+        src={`/svgs/modal/spinner-${color}.svg`}
+    />
+);
+
+Spinner.defaultProps = {
+    color: 'white'
 };
 
 Spinner.propTypes = {
-    mode: PropTypes.string
+    className: PropTypes.string,
+    color: PropTypes.oneOf(['white', 'blue', 'transparent-gray'])
 };
 
 module.exports = Spinner;
diff --git a/src/components/spinner/spinner.scss b/src/components/spinner/spinner.scss
index 2707d02cf..4aba6ad98 100644
--- a/src/components/spinner/spinner.scss
+++ b/src/components/spinner/spinner.scss
@@ -1,118 +1,44 @@
-@import "../../colors";
-
-.spinner {
-    position: relative;
-    margin: 0 auto;
-    width: 20px;
-    height: 20px;
-
-    .circle {
-        position: absolute;
-        top: 0;
-        left: 0;
-        width: 100%;
-        height: 100%;
-
-        &:before {
-            display: block;
-            animation: circleFadeDelay 1.2s infinite ease-in-out both;
-            margin: 0 auto;
-            border-radius: 100%;
-            background-color: $ui-gray;
-            width: 15%;
-            height: 15%;
-            content: "";
-
-            .white & {
-                background-color: $ui-blue-dark;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    @for $i from 1 through 12 {
-        $rotation: 30deg * ($i - 1);
-        $delay: -1.3s + $i * .1;
-
-        .circle#{$i} {
-            transform: rotate($rotation);
-
-            &:before {
-                animation-delay: $delay;
-            }
-        }
-
-    }
-
+.studio-status-icon-spinner {
+    /* This class can be used on an icon that should spin.
+    It first plays the intro animation, then spins forever. */
+    animation-name: intro, spin;
+    animation-duration: .25s, .5s;
+    animation-timing-function: cubic-bezier(.3, -3, .6, 3), linear;
+    animation-delay: 0s, .25s;
+    animation-iteration-count: 1, infinite;
+    animation-direction: normal;
+    width: 1.4rem; /* standard is 1.4 rem but can be overwritten by parent */
+    height: 1.4rem;
+    -webkit-animation-name: intro, spin;
+    -webkit-animation-duration: .25s, .5s;
+    -webkit-animation-iteration-count: 1, infinite;
+    -webkit-animation-delay: 0s, .25s;
+    -webkit-animation-timing-function: cubic-bezier(.3, -3, .6, 3), linear;
+    transform-origin: center;
 }
 
-@keyframes circleFadeDelay {
-    0%,
-    39%,
+@keyframes intro {
+    0% {
+        transform: scale(0);
+        opacity: 0;
+        -webkit-transform: scale(0);
+    }
+    
     100% {
-        opacity: 0;
-    }
-
-    40% {
+        transform: scale(1);
         opacity: 1;
+        -webkit-transform: scale(1);
     }
 }
 
-
-/*********************/
-/* type === "smooth" */
-/*********************/
-
-.spinner-smooth {
-    position: relative;
-    margin: 0 auto;
-    width: 20px;
-    height: 20px;
-
-    .circle {
-        position: absolute;
-        top: 0;
-        left: 0;
-        width: 100%;
-        height: 100%;
-
-        &:before {
-            display: block;
-            animation: circleFadeDelaySmooth 1.8s infinite ease-in-out both;
-            margin: 0 auto;
-            border-radius: 100%;
-            background-color: $ui-white;
-            width: 30%;
-            height: 20%;
-            content: "";
-
-            .white & {
-                background-color: darken($ui-blue, 8%);
-            }
-        }
+@keyframes spin {
+    0% {
+        transform: rotate(0);
+        -webkit-transform: rotate(0);
     }
 
-    @for $i from 1 through 24 {
-        $rotation: 15deg * ($i - 1);
-        $delay: -1.9s + $i * .075;
-
-        .circle#{$i} {
-            transform: rotate($rotation);
-
-            &:before {
-                animation-delay: $delay;
-            }
-        }
-
-    }
-
-}
-
-@keyframes circleFadeDelaySmooth {
-    0%,
-    35% {
-        opacity: 0;
-    },
-    40% {
-        opacity: 1;
+    100% {
+        transform: rotate(359deg);
+        -webkit-transform: rotate(359deg);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/views/components/components.jsx b/src/views/components/components.jsx
index 3196d93ea..1e01bc4cc 100644
--- a/src/views/components/components.jsx
+++ b/src/views/components/components.jsx
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ const Components = () => (
             <Box title="Carousel component in a box!">
                 <Carousel />
             </Box>
-            <h1>This is a Spinner</h1>
-            <Spinner />
+            <h1>This is a blue Spinner</h1>
+            <Spinner
+                color="blue"
+            />
             <h1>Colors</h1>
             <div className="colors">
                 <span className="ui-blue">$ui-blue</span>
diff --git a/src/views/preview/preview.jsx b/src/views/preview/preview.jsx
index 6b3fe2909..5ee45f1a1 100644
--- a/src/views/preview/preview.jsx
+++ b/src/views/preview/preview.jsx
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ class Preview extends React.Component {
             );
         }
     }
-    handleToggleStudio (event) {
-        const studioId = parseInt(event.currentTarget.dataset.id, 10);
+    handleToggleStudio (id) {
+        const studioId = parseInt(id, 10);
         if (isNaN(studioId)) { // sanity check in case event had no integer data-id
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/views/studentcompleteregistration/studentcompleteregistration.jsx b/src/views/studentcompleteregistration/studentcompleteregistration.jsx
index 6724ac87b..c5f3fc104 100644
--- a/src/views/studentcompleteregistration/studentcompleteregistration.jsx
+++ b/src/views/studentcompleteregistration/studentcompleteregistration.jsx
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class StudentCompleteRegistration extends React.Component {
     }
     handleRegister (formData) {
         this.setState({waiting: true});
-        
+
         formData = defaults({}, formData || {}, this.state.formData);
         const submittedData = {
             birth_month: formData.user.birth.month,
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class StudentCompleteRegistration extends React.Component {
         if (this.props.must_reset_password) {
             submittedData.password = formData.user.password;
         }
-        
+
         api({
             host: '',
             uri: '/classes/student_update_registration/',
diff --git a/static/svgs/modal/spinner-blue.svg b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-blue.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..effd69142
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-blue.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<svg width="20px" height="20px" viewBox="0 0 20 20" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <!-- Generator: Sketch 51.3 (57544) - http://www.bohemiancoding.com/sketch -->
+    <title>spinner-blue</title>
+    <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc>
+    <defs></defs>
+    <g id="spinner-blue" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">
+        <path d="M15,10 C15,7.23857625 12.7614237,5 10,5 C7.23857625,5 5,7.23857625 5,10 C5,12.7614237 7.23857625,15 10,15" id="Oval-2" stroke="#4D97FF" stroke-width="2.5"></path>
+    </g>
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/svgs/modal/spinner-transparent-gray.svg b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-transparent-gray.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e12923e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-transparent-gray.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<svg width="20px" height="20px" viewBox="0 0 20 20" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <!-- Generator: Sketch 51.3 (57544) - http://www.bohemiancoding.com/sketch -->
+    <title>spinner-transparent-gray</title>
+    <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc>
+    <defs></defs>
+    <g id="spinner-transparent-gray" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-opacity="0.15">
+        <path d="M15,10 C15,7.23857625 12.7614237,5 10,5 C7.23857625,5 5,7.23857625 5,10 C5,12.7614237 7.23857625,15 10,15" id="Oval-2" stroke="#000000" stroke-width="2.5"></path>
+    </g>
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/svgs/modal/spinner-white.svg b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-white.svg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..547b591dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/svgs/modal/spinner-white.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<svg width="20px" height="20px" viewBox="0 0 20 20" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+    <!-- Generator: Sketch 51.3 (57544) - http://www.bohemiancoding.com/sketch -->
+    <title>spinner-white</title>
+    <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc>
+    <defs></defs>
+    <g id="spinner-white" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">
+        <path d="M15,10 C15,7.23857625 12.7614237,5 10,5 C7.23857625,5 5,7.23857625 5,10 C5,12.7614237 7.23857625,15 10,15" id="Oval-2" stroke="#FFFFFF" stroke-width="2.5"></path>
+    </g>
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/static/svgs/modal/spinner.svg b/static/svgs/modal/spinner.svg
deleted file mode 100644
index b6a2b26f1..000000000
--- a/static/svgs/modal/spinner.svg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-<svg width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M15 10a5 5 0 1 0-5 5" stroke="#FFF" stroke-width="2.5" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg>
\ No newline at end of file