To put it simply Motion Design is a form of animation, based on Graphic Design composition and layouts, whilst also being guided by the 12 Principles of Animation.
Motion has use cases in:
- Ads & commercials
- Social media videos
- App animations
- Explainer videos
- Logo animations
- UI/UX animations
But Motion Design is not*:
- Video Editing
- Graphic Design
- 3D Modelling
- Generative AI
*But those might come into the discipline of Motion Design, depending on the skillset of the Motion Designer.
Say for example, that you have a strong layout for a Social Post made in Figma or Illustrator with logos, product visuals, body text and a CTA. This could be brought to life to explain a complex narrative or give a wider scope to a brand’s identity.
A Motion designer will take the layout from static, and consider carefully how this message or brand would move to guide the viewer’s eye and keep them engaged. Once they’re hooked in and stopping the scroll, they’re then anticipating something else to happen. Usually your CTA, or Call to Action. Motion designers consider the steps and timing of visuals needed to pull someone in with a good hook, and keeping them engaged to guide decision-making. Do they move on and keep scrolling, or has the video piqued their interest?
To achieve this, Motion Designers will work across software such as:
- After Effects, as a basis
- Premiere Pro for Video and Audio Editing
- Figma and Lottie for UI or Web Animation
- Blender and Cinema 4D for 3D Animation
Which software used depends on the purpose and art direction of the brief.
Most Motion Designers will have a speciality service or industry, some may be experts at App animation, others will be able to provide cinematic 3D. Who you hire depends on what the purpose of your animation is, your industry and of course budget.
Why work with Motion Design?
Motion Design, when done well does a great job of explaining brands, products and services in seconds. On social media, video consistently out-performs static and increases conversions as it holds attention for longer. The best Motion Design out there can communicate the same message across global audiences regardless of language.
On websites, Motion and Interaction informs navigation and keeps viewers on your pages for longer, driving organic traffic and boosting SEO rankings. Animation optimised for web is lightweight and embeddable into your website’s HTML, so that your load times aren’t affected.
Where to find Motion Designers
Hopefully you like what you see on my website, and that you can see us working together. If not, you do have other options!
- Upwork or Fiverr (for lower-budgets)
- Dribbble (for UI and Web Animation)
- Instagram, best for Social-focused designers
- Google/ChatGPT
Motion isn’t the finishing touch to great design, motion is the soul and signature of recognisable brands out there. It builds a brand legacy by giving your brand it's own language.
If you're looking to elevate your prescence through socials or your website, Motion does a great job of speaking for you.
