What is Motion Design?
Motion Design (or Motion Graphics) is a tool/technique that adds animation to graphics in order to tell a story and/or convey information.
The video below is a motion graphic that I created for Terence Oliver’s Motion Graphics course. It is based on a poem I wrote about whether or not aliens exist.
Journalistic Storytelling/Infographics
Motion graphics can be used in the world of journalism to tell stories and add richness to static information. The video below talks about the differences in 100-meter-dash runners from the 19th century to modern times.
Brand Visuals
They can also be used by brands to tell audiences who they are, what they value, and what is new with them. The video below by luxury brand Fendi portrays its new eyewear in a surreal, fantasy world filled with rich textures and gold detailing.
Make Complex Topics Engaging
Because the design elements in motion graphics are most often combined with audio and sound effects, they can be very good at bestowing style and personality on an otherwise bland topic.
The most effective motion graphics…
…are informative:
The information can be as simple as the price of a hamburger that pops up at the end of a commercial, or a complex and detailed history of the first weaponized computer virus like the video below.
…tell a story:
More than just showing bits of information, there should be an overall narrative being constructed. What is the purpose of this collection of moving images? What message is it trying to convey? What story is Apple trying to tell about their products in the video below?
…are abstract:
By using the elements of design in ways that are abstract, motion graphics portray complex information using recognizable symbols, silhouettes, and imagery. By combining simple-yet-easy-to-understand images with the principles of animation, detailed narratives can be constructed. In the brand video for Slack below, the animators portray various types of data as symbols of various colors. By simply shifting around and grouping these symbols together by color or proximity, the animators are able to convey ideas such as organization, efficiency, searching, security and selection.
The Foundations of Movement
Creating motion graphics can be a very rewarding experience. Adding animation to static imagery opens up an entire universe of possibilities. As a designer, there is truly nothing quite like seeing the hard work and passion of your designs come to life on screen.
But before we can begin animating, we need to learn the 12 Principles of Animation that will allow us to take our work and bring it to life in a believable way.