I'm struggling with the same thing. I use Premier Pro and Photoshop and all the gimmicks those programs have to reduce the file size, but still it all usually leaves me pretty disappointed and the end result is not at all what I was looking for. Resizing the image is the most effective but if the animation is too long, let's say over 10 seconds, nothing seems to be enough.
Perhaps using only three or max. 6 colors in the art to begin with? Could also generate fun stuff, dunno. I feel your pain. Your pain is my pain. A gif headache.
did not think about reducing colors. that can work in some situations.
i think I tried every export option in Premier :D Photoshop I found to complicated for gif creation. probably only because I was not using it long enough.
I only use Photoshop with gifs to reduce the file size. If it's not too large to work in Photoshop at all. Because that can also happen. Although I've already done almost everything I can in Premiere. I have no idea how to create gifs with photoshop, or actually do but I think it might actually be, like you said, too complicated.