Case Study: Google’s Use of Motion Design in Their Products

motion design case study

For Google, motion is essential for bringing digital products to life. Even a simple action like tapping a card to expand and reveal more information is enhanced by smooth animation. New content appears seamlessly, shared elements shift into place, and users receive clear guidance with a focused visual cue. 

In this case study, we discuss how Google uses motion design for its product and marketing strategy.

Here’s how Google utilizes motion design for its product and marketing strategy:

  • Product Announcements : Google uses engaging motion design extensively in product announcements to create excitement about upcoming features. 
  • User Experience : Motion design improves Google's products' user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). Subtle animations guide users through complex processes and make interactions more intuitive.
  • Brand Storytelling : Google’s animated storytelling campaigns, such as the “Year in Search” series, emotionally connect with audiences by highlighting significant global events and trends.
  • Educational Content : Animated tutorials and explainer videos help users understand how to use Google products effectively, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.

Product Announcements

Google effectively uses motion design for product introductions. Their approach captivates audiences, conveys complex features, and strengthens brand identity. They create engaging animations, interactive elements, and visually appealing content. Here are some channels where Google uses motion design to assist users throughout their journey:

  • Feature Showcases
  • Explainer Videos
  • Interactive Demos

Example: ‘Welcome to Gemini Era’

For Gemini’s launch, Google used motion design from teaser to demo to social media. The teaser video built anticipation. The demo video showcased features interactively. Social media and educational videos engaged audiences and simplified concepts. Motion design captured attention, enhanced understanding, drove engagement, and reinforced brand identity, creating a compelling product narrative.

Gemini Launch Teaser

motion design case study

Impact: 52M+ views 

Gemini Demo ‍

Impact: 3.5M+ views

Educational content about Generative AI ‍

Impact: 237K views

Gemini explained in 90 seconds ‍

Impact: 580K+ views

User Experience 

Material Design , Google’s design system, incorporates motion design principles to bring their surfaces to life. It emphasizes meaningful motion, ensuring that animations are functional, and are able to guide users through experiences with ease and intuition. By using visual cues like elevation, surfaces, and transitions, Material Design ensures that their experiences are not only aesthetically pleasing but also feel alive and responsive. 

Here are some ways Google uses motion design for enhanced user experience:

  • Simplifying user interactions and expectations
  • Providing clear information about system status, improving user confidence
  • Guided learning of new features and navigation
  • Keeping users interested for retention

Example: Google Assistant

In Google Assistant, motion design enhances user experience through smooth, intuitive animations. These include visual cues for listening, processing, and responding to user queries. Subtle transitions and feedback animations guide users, making interactions feel more engaging and natural. For instance, animated waves show the Assistant is listening, while dynamic responses and icon changes keep users informed about the status of their requests.

Due to its enhanced onboarding and user experience, Google Assistant outperforms all other voice assistants. The user was guided throughout onboarding which led to better voice detection.

motion design case study

Brand Storytelling

Google’s earliest attempts at motion design were for Doodles, back in 2000, where they used Halloween special doodles. Animated Doodles celebrate diversity, historical events, and cultural moments while offering interactive, educational experiences for users. These Doodles tell stories that evoke emotions, connect with audiences, and help create curiosity around the celebrated topic.

They use the following approaches to connect with users through meaningful content and creative expression.

  • Educational Impact
  • Cultural Appreciation
  • Global Awareness
  • User Engagement

Example: Google Doodles

Google’s approach to motion design through Doodles exemplifies how animation and interactivity can drive effective brand storytelling. By celebrating historical figures, cultural events, and significant milestones with engaging and educational content, Google enhances the user experience while reinforcing its identity as a leader in innovation and creativity.

Google Doodle - ICC Worldcup 2023

Google Doodle - Teacher’s Day 2024

Google Doodle - Cartolas 115th birthday

By 2020, Google had created over 5,000 Doodles, a testament to the project’s success and reach. The Doodle team receives around 7,000 submissions annually and consults cultural experts for feedback, highlighting the project's broad engagement and commitment to cultural relevance.

Educational Content

Google uses motion design to enhance educational content by simplifying complex concepts through animation, creating interactive learning experiences, and making learning fun with playful visuals. Their approach supports diverse learning styles by combining visual, auditory, and interactive elements. This strategy helps users understand abstract ideas, engage with educational tools, and enjoy the learning process, reaching a wide audience effectively.

Example: Data Commons

Data Commons by Google is a platform designed to provide easy access to comprehensive, structured, and high-quality data from diverse sources. It aims to simplify the process of discovering, understanding, and utilizing data for various research, analysis, and decision-making purposes. Google uses motion design to transform this intricate dataset into clear, visual representations. Animated graphs, charts, and infographics help break down complex information into easy-to-understand visuals. The objectives of this specific project have been the following:

  • Visualizing Complex Data: Motion design transforms complex datasets into clear, easy-to-understand visual representations.
  • Making Data Interactive and Engaging: Interactive elements and dynamic transitions encourage viewers to explore and engage with data.
  • Simplifying Data Stories: Motion design breaks down large volumes of data into coherent, easy-to-follow narratives.
  • Enhancing Accessibility and Understanding: Clear animations and visual aids make data more accessible and understandable for diverse audiences.‍

Impact: 49K users watched the introductory video to understand the purpose of the platform. ‍

Impact: Data from 193 countries and 111,000 cities was presented in a video for better understanding of SDGs. 

Google’s use of motion design illustrates its power in product and marketing strategies. By integrating motion design thoughtfully, Google captivates audiences, enhances user experiences, and strengthens brand identity.

Strategically adding motion design is important for product strategy and marketing. It enhances every user journey stage—from onboarding to long-term retention—by creating memorable, engaging, and effective experiences.

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The 10 Best Motion Graphic Designer Portfolio Examples

If you're a designer in the mograph niche, you've got to make to make your work stand out. Take some inspiration from our favorite motion graphic designer portfolios and make your special talents sparkle. ✨

The 10 Best Motion Graphic Designer Portfolio Examples

Here we have the best motion graphic designer portfolio examples. There is no one-size-fits all way to create a motion graphic designer portfolio. You have to figure out what works best for your profile of work and the type of freelance jobs you want to attract.

Most essential elements of a designer’s portfolio

There are still some basic elements every freelance designer’s portfolio should have.

  • identifying factor
  • evidence of your artistic style
  • something else, probably

Motion graphic designer portfolio examples

If you’re a creative, you probably learn by seeing, so let’s dive into the best motion graphic designer portfolio examples.

Cornelia Ryås

Cornelia Ryås is a Swedish motion graphic designer and animator based in Stockholm.

Her catchy animated squares aren’t just descriptions of her past work. They’re links to case studies, which help clients see your approach to work. With a solid understanding of a designer’s problem-solving process , clients can imagine similar results for themselves, leading them to hire you for freelance design jobs.

Sabrina Chaney

Sabrina Chaney is an animator and motion designer,

Taking the animated portfolio squares approach doesn’t always have to look the same. Designers are able to express consistency without only showcasing past work in a strict, unified style.

Don’t force your past work into a pigeonhole. Your personal artistic style won’t fit every project you work on and that’s okay. If you are versatile enough to satisfy clients in different industries, that’s a plus that you shouldn’t hide from.

Hannah Churn

Hannah Churn is an amazing motion graphic designer

Hannah Churn’s portfolio is a wonderful example of a professional with many niches.

As an animator, it’s a fantastic hook to showcase your animation reel like she has with her first square. She also includes plenty of animation on her own motion graphic designer portfolio, so clients will know she’s a designer of her word!

Ana Maria Posada

Ana Maria Posada is a multimedia designer.

While the main section of her portfolio does include a grid of squares, Ana Maria Posada’s homepage is much more enticing. Upon seeing her portfolio homepage, clients will immediately be impressed by the quality of work she’s done for herself!

Not only has she likely created her own logo, but she has also animated it. She has also animated an original animated graphic of herself playing guitar! Clients get a feel for her personality, which she shows is creative, motivated, and easygoing. Those are great qualities that give clients good reason to hire you based on your motion graphic design portfolio.

If you want to stop looking for clients and start getting matched with companies you love join out network .

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Get inspired, benjamin barnhart.

  • 19 March 2024
  • 15 min read

In this article

💡 key insights.

  • Even if you’re not yet familiar with the term motion design, you've definitely experienced numerous examples of this design format in action.
  • Motion design is seen in motion pictures and TV, on websites and apps, in advertising and marketing, and all over social media—we'll look at a few cases in depth.
  • In this article, we’ll explain motion design, how it evolved, and where it's headed. Are you interested in becoming a motion designer? We'll also briefly explain what a motion designer does and how you can pursue this as a professional career.

Motion design is becoming increasingly important. We're constantly bombarded with content in our everyday lives.

There's fierce competition for our attention, and if you’re in the business of trying to capture attention to effectively reach and communicate with people, motion design is a powerful and essential tool to have in your arsenal.

Bring motion in-house

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Let’s get definitive

On the simplest level, motion design is the application of motion or animation to graphic design. But to put it more fancifully, it’s the art of bringing graphic design to life through animation.

Motion designers use a combination of graphic design elements and animation techniques . They apply graphic design skills and principles to produce films, video clips, and other time-based media, such as animated .gifs.

While the terms "motion design" and "motion graphics" have historically been used interchangeably, they're now much more distinct.

If you think of simple graphic elements in motion on a website or an app, this can be considered a work of motion graphics. But, motion design has evolved into a discipline that requires much thought and planning to execute effectively.

Technology and design have advanced greatly, and the term motion graphics no longer accurately describes the true nature of motion design.

So, just how did motion design become the powerful art form it is today?

A brief history of motion design

The origins of motion design can be traced way back to the earliest days of animation.

  • Flipbooks and analog animation devices invented in the 1800s are seen as the first examples of motion design, but modern motion graphic design took off in the 1940s.
  • Experimental artists such as the German-American abstract animator and artist Oskar Fischinger and Scottish-Canadian animator Norman McLaren are considered two pioneers of motion design.
  • In the 1950s, the discipline skyrocketed thanks to the groundbreaking work of legendary designers such as Saul Bass, Maurice Binder, and Pablo Ferro.

Saul Bass is best known for the striking movie posters and motion designs he created for the film industry, including movie titles by famous filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Martin Scorsese.

He often worked alongside his wife, Elaine Bass, to create Oscar-winning movie titles.

Maurice Binder created the motion design film titles for 16 James Bond movies , including the first one, Dr. No (1962). Most designers have looked to these incredible works of motion design for inspiration.

Pablo Ferro was a Cuban motion designer who lived and worked in New York in the 1950s. His split-screen motion design for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) movie title sequence was revolutionary.

These artists transformed the world of film title design by introducing motion design techniques. Their work sparked a trend, and from the 1950s onwards, television titles and logos were animated .

American animator and inventor John Whitney Snr. was one of the first to experiment with computer animation . He had built analog computers since the 1950s using old Turing machines from World War II.

Whitney's 'cam machines' enabled him to digitize the motion design process by using programming skills and graphic design principles to produce motion graphics animations.

Whitney also collaborated with Saul Bass on the movie titles for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). The swirling cinematic effects of the motion design for the titles were produced using computer graphics.

Montage of images from the title sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's film "Vertigo"

As modern computing technology became more powerful, so did the proliferation and potential of motion design.

Over the past 25 years, the art form has exploded. The recent advances in motion design software and hardware have also been matched by an increase in the presence of screens in our daily lives .

Motion design is everywhere. It's used to market, entertain, inform, educate, and more.

Now, anyone can access modern computing technology and create amazing motion designs without any programming skills—even on mobile devices.

Minimalistic animated infographics template

Isn’t motion design just a fancy name for animation?

One thing worth spending some time untangling is the difference between motion design and animation videos.

The line between the two is quite blurry, and motion design is often referred to as animation. But let’s draw a clear distinction.

Technically, motion design and motion graphics are forms of animation, which explains how confusion can arise. But when referring to animation as a discipline, it concerns traditional animated films that tell the story of characters moving through time and space.

Traditional animated films tend to rely on characters to move the story forward. These characters are central to the films and are expressive.

Motion design serves a different purpose since it tends to be more abstract or aesthetic and often text-based . It's frequently used to aid in communicating brand messages in video format , making it well-suited for marketing and advertising.

Uses of motion design

Motion design can be employed in a wide variety of ways. One key use is to make text-based information more engaging and interesting .

Motion designers often collaborate with illustrators, photographers, videographers, and video editors to produce different types of motion graphics.

These are some of the main use cases for motion design:

Film title design

Think about the title sequences for films we examined earlier in this article. Motion design takes otherwise unengaging blocks of static and plain text and breathes life into them, marrying them with visual effects and audio components.

These designed film titles set the stage for the movie or short film and become enjoyable visual experiences in themselves.

Film titles often incorporate live-action videos with motion graphics animations and require hours of video editing (post-production) . The motion of elements on the movie screen engages the viewer, focusing fully on the story unfolding before their eyes.

These movie titles are spliced into the film’s final cut before being exported as one file.

Case study: Se7en (1995)

The title design for the movie Se7en set a new precedent for engaging viewers and improving narrative depth through motion design. 

The title sequence incorporates a series of disturbingly jittery, hand-edited shots of the antagonist, John Doe, performing various actions like meticulously inking words onto paper and removing fingerprints. 

These visuals are intertwined with frantic kinetic typography that displays the names of the cast and crew. The sequence combines live-action footage, stop motion photography, and cutting-edge digital effects (for the time) to create a sense of unease and foreboding.

Television, sports, and news programs

In previous years, television programs usually had presenters delivering the introductions to shows. Jingles and animated graphics often accompanied TV show introductions. Motion design has also become a staple in music video production.

News programs still use motion design. Think of the dynamic, animated logos at the start of their broadcasts and the news ticker motion graphics when reporting live from a location.

Sports shows also superimpose motion graphics to show game scores, leaderboards, and information for fans to follow the games more easily.

Case study: ESPN’s SportsCenter rebrand (2014)

In 2014, ESPN undertook a comprehensive rebrand of its flagship program, SportsCenter, one of the most recognized sports news shows. 

This rebrand focused on integrating advanced motion design to enhance viewer engagement and modernize the show's presentation. 

The rebrand featured bold, animated typography and infographics that could be easily updated with the latest sports data. This approach ensured viewers received real-time information in a visually engaging format.

Animated logos

Promotional motion graphics often include animated logos, which draw attention to the logo and make it more engaging without a storyline or complex characters.

Expressive motion graphics give a personified appeal to brands that would otherwise have been advertised as still images. This helps to build brand recognition and gives the company more personality.

Case study: Google’s animated logo evolution

Google, known for its minimalist approach and forthright innovation, has used animated logos to engage users and communicate its brand identity creatively. 

Over the years, Google has introduced various animated versions of its logo, especially through its Google Doodles, to celebrate events, anniversaries, and achievements. 

These animations transform the familiar Google logo into a storytelling tool that captures attention and conveys messages in a playful and impactful way.

Explainer videos

Motion designers tend to have strong skills in visual communication.

The potential of motion design to make seemingly boring things more exciting makes it especially useful for an explainer video or process guide.

Motion design can take a complex infographic and turn it into an engaging and enjoyable video that captures attention.

Explainer motion graphics help describe concepts visually. They’re an excellent way to engage audiences and help them understand simple to complex ideas .

An explainer video is usually accompanied by a narrator who talks viewers through the motion graphics displayed on the screen.

Case study: Dropbox’s explainer video relaunch

In 2009, Dropbox, a cloud storage service, released an explainer video that played a pivotal role in the company's early user growth. 

This simple yet effective animated video analyzed the concept of cloud storage—a relatively new idea then—and demonstrated how Dropbox could solve common problems related to file storage and sharing.

The video's success highlighted the effectiveness of motion design in making complex technology accessible and engaging to a broad audience .

The video used a clean, flat animation style , which, combined with a conversational narration, made cloud storage easy to understand for viewers with no prior knowledge of the technology.

In the same vein as explainer videos, which describe products or processes, motion design is especially effective for education.

Using visual language that children or students understand and can relate to in combination with the information they need to learn, motion design can create rich and dynamic learning experiences that improve the overall quality of learning.

Case study: Khan Academy’s use of motion design in educational content

Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization, provides free online education to students worldwide. Its educational videos often feature motion graphics, including animated diagrams, illustrations, and text, to accompany the instructors' voice-over explanations. 

The motion design elements are crafted to illustrate concepts dynamically , breaking down complicated ideas into manageable, visually engaging pieces of information.

Social media

You can see examples of motion design all over social media as the techniques become more and more prevalent. There are good reasons for using motion design in a social media context.

Static images and content on social media are far less popular and get shared at a much lower rate than moving and dynamic content. Motion design also enhances video footage to help bring across a message. This means it's great for a how-to or promotion video.

Retro Instagram post animated template

Think about what works for you when you scroll through social media feeds. You're likely much more drawn to elements in motion than photographs.

Since motion design is the movement of graphics over time, it also means that viewers stay on a page or post for longer and are less likely to scroll past if they're engaged with the animated content.

Case study: Duolingo's language learning encouragements

Duolingo, the language learning app, utilizes motion graphics in its social media strategy to motivate current users and attract new ones. 

These animations prominently feature the brand's mascot, Duo the Owl. They convey the benefits of learning a language in a fun and engaging way.

Duolingo's motion graphics depict Duo in various scenarios, from celebrating learning milestones to gently reminding users to maintain their learning streaks. These animations are crafted with bright colors, playful movements , and humorous contexts, aligning with the app's approachable narrative.

Advertising

Motion design can shine in video advertising —creating dynamic, motion-based content that captures viewers' attention and communicates marketing messages much more effectively than static images or text alone.

Advertising motion designers create promotional graphics that can appear on digital billboards, fast-food restaurant menu boards, Google Ads, TV, and mobile devices. We tend to interact with different versions of promotional motion graphics .

Often, these ads are also programmed to follow your journey between screens, which explains why you tend to see the same ads repeatedly

Case study: Spotify’s motion design in advertising

Spotify, a leading music streaming service with a diverse target audience spanning different ages, tastes, and regions, faces the challenge of creating universally appealing yet personalized advertising content.

Spotify leveraged motion design in its digital advertising campaigns across platforms like Google Ads and Instagram to capture attention and convey its brand message. Spotify's ads told stories that resonated with potential users, illustrating moments of frustration with ads on other platforms and the joy of uninterrupted listening with Premium.

Point of sale and self-service systems

With more jobs being replaced by digitized systems in various industries, interactive motion graphics have become even more important for user experience in the physical world.

Malls, cinemas, banks, airports, restaurants, and drug stores are all starting to use automated ticketing systems and information desks. Some of the biggest tech companies in the world are producing POS (point-of-sale) systems and self-service kiosks, such as Oracle and Ingenico.

Point-of-sale self-service kiosks

Case study: Oracle’s integration of motion design in POS systems

Oracle, a database management and cloud services leader, has expanded its technology features to include advanced POS systems and self-service kiosks. 

These systems are designed for various industries, including retail, hospitality, airports, and more, aiming to streamline operations and improve customer service .

Oracle implemented motion design in its POS system and self-service kiosk interfaces to create a more beneficial, engaging user experience. The strategy used interactive motion graphics to seamlessly guide users through transactions and information queries.

Besides using popular design programs to produce motion graphics in video formats, designers can also use their programming skills to create animated elements online.

Using CSS and Javascript code for motion design is constantly developing. Previously, many animated elements on websites were embedded videos, but now you can achieve complex and interactive motion graphics using code alone.

Case study: Airbnb’s website animation

Airbnb, a popular platform for booking accommodations and experiences, aims to provide its users with a simple and engaging online experience . 

With a vast and diverse customer base, creating a universally appealing and intuitive interface is crucial.

Airbnb utilized CSS and JavaScript to embed motion graphics and interactive elements directly into its website, moving away from the reliance on embedded videos for animation.

Airbnb reported increased engagement metrics on the website, with users spending more time exploring listings and a higher click-through rate (CTR) to booking pages.

UI/UX design

Whereas user experience design for desktop and mobile devices is an entire field of expertise, its implementation often relies on some form of motion design.

User experience design studies how users interact with digital products and what would improve their experiences. UX designers have very broad skill sets , including design knowledge, psychology, color theory and narrative devices, digital product design , and the basic principles of software development.

You can code various transitions and drag interactions to give real-time interactions with a user interface an organic feel.

A shaking field box when an incorrect password is entered or a jiggling call to action are examples of UI/UX elements driven by motion design.

Case study: Google’s material design implementation

Google's Material Design is an adaptable design system—backed by open-source code—that helps teams build high-quality digital experiences for Android devices, web applications, and more. 

Google integrated motion design into the Android operating system through Material Design, which provides guidelines and principles for animating UI elements in a contextually relevant way.

How motion design works

The workflow of motion design differs based on whether you're involved in the creation of the initial illustrations and assets or whether you'll receive these assets to work on.

In many situations, a graphic designer or illustrator will be the person who creates the initial static illustrations , which are called style frames . 

This can be done in most graphic design software, such as Linearity Curve , Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe Illustrator. These style frames are then given to a motion designer.

The motion designer will bring these style frames into animation software like Linearity Move or Adobe After Effects , where they can be adapted and animated.

motion design case study

Linearity Move’s Auto Animate feature empowers you to animate static designs in seconds. It’s a simple create-import-click animation process that will blow your mind.

How to get started in motion design

Feeling inspired? If becoming a motion designer sounds like your dream job, there are a few different career paths you can take. 

There are many online courses out there that teach animation principles that can be applied to motion design. You can even pursue a full degree in motion graphics or motion design.

If you're currently a student looking to expand your design skills you can choose to learn motion design in this way.

If you’d prefer not to go down the official study route, there are some great motion design channels to enhance your knowledge and technical skills. 

There are plenty of resources online where you can learn basic motion design principles and develop motion design skills. Video tutorials by experienced designers can become your best friends.

Ready to create animated brand assets that pack a punch?

Visit our Academy for free motion design courses.

A background in graphic design or good knowledge of it will help you, too. But all you really need to get started is some software and a personal drive to reach your goal.

It will also be beneficial to join a community of motion design amateurs you can learn from and share resources with.

The future of motion design

Motion design will become even more prevalent and important in the future. Screens are already everywhere. We’ll see digital frames take over from static posters, even incorporating interaction options.

This will bring more motion design to physical advertising and make good visual communication an essential skill.

Many phones come with their own basic video editing tools that enable you to add moving graphic elements, export your work in multiple formats, or publish it online.

With Linearity Move, you don't need in-depth animation knowledge to start creating your own motion graphics.

If you’re interested in becoming a motion designer and developing your skills in this area, there's no better time to begin than now.

Ready to try new and innovative motion design software? Get started with Linearity Move for free below, or book a demo to learn more about our Org plan for teams .

Frequently asked questions

Can motion design improve website experience.

Absolutely. Motion design can significantly enhance a website's user experience by guiding users through the site, providing feedback on interactions, and making the navigation process more intuitive and enjoyable.

What skills are required to become a motion designer?

A motion designer needs a mix of graphic design skills, animation skills, and an understanding of storytelling principles. 

Access to design and animation software, such as Linearity Move or Adobe After Effects, is crucial. Knowledge of coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web-based animations is beneficial.

How does motion design differ from traditional animation?

While traditional animation often focuses on storytelling and character movement, motion design primarily enhances graphic elements in a shorter format. 

Motion design is typically more integrated with technology and digital platforms, serving functional and aesthetic purposes.

What tools do motion designers use?

Motion designers create graphics and animations using various tools, including Linearity Move, Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, and more. 

For web animations, tools like Adobe Animate, Webflow, or direct coding with CSS and JavaScript are also used.

What trends are emerging in the field of motion design?

Emerging trends in motion design include integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), using machine learning (ML) to create dynamic animations, and exploring minimalist animation styles for a cleaner user experience.

What's motion design? | Linearity

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Ben is the Marketing Manager at Linearity in Berlin, with extensive experience in content writing. He blends his passion for animation and history to develop impactful marketing strategies.

Benjamin Barnhart

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Motion Design Case Study — Sky Sports rebrand

Andrew Popplestone shared an awesome motion design case study for the Sky Sports rebrand. As part of the successful Sky Sports rebrand, Sky Creative Advertising tapped Territory to design new opening titles and content for the dedicated Super League channel. 

With a vision to celebrate Sky's coverage of the sport with fresh energy, the brief included a 45 second opening title sequence for Sky Sports Super League, a 20 second generic Rugby League sequence and multiple bumpers. Designed to tie in with Sky Sports rebranding and its emphasis on personality, Territory was asked to push beyond genre conventions with a modern twist on the spirit of the game. The result is a highly stylised 2D cel animation that features a dynamic collage of all the Super League team mascots. Created to tell the story of the battle for the championship, the title sequence conveys the energy, drama and passion of the sport.

Style Frames

motion design case study

RUGBY LEAGUE Sequence Frames

motion design case study

SUPER LEAGUE Sequence Frames

motion design case study

  • Produced at Territory Studio
  • Creative Director - Andrew Popplestone
  • Lead CG Artists - Sam Munnings & Ashley Pay
  • Lead 2D Artist - Javier Ren
  • Producer - Joy Whilby
  • Executive Creative Director - Ceri Sampson
  • Design Director - Chris Sharpe
  • Senior Designer - Brad Le Riche
  • Senior Producer - Sophie Brooks

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Six brilliant examples of how motion design has taken over the creative industries

On this website, we've argued for some time that designers and illustrators need to be aware of motion design trends, because these skills are becoming increasingly in demand across the creative industry. And that's never been more true than at this present moment.

Work by [@karnnbhullar](https://www.instagram.com/karnnbhullar/)

Work by @karnnbhullar

In the last month, almost all advertising, TV and movie production has been shut down, as lockdown has made it virtually impossible to film anything traditionally. So if a brand or company needs to produce new material, animation is the one remaining go-to; and motion design is proving a key way to get content made quickly and efficiently.

Consequently, motion design is currently one of the few areas of the working world where demand for skills is still outstripping supply. And this won't be just a temporary situation either. In truth, the lockdown has only accelerated a trend that was already in place: motion design is taking over the world, and so it's a great time to get started learning this invaluable skill.

In this article, we highlight some of the ground-breaking and imaginative uses of motion design that we've spotted recently, and point out some of the latest motion design trends everyone you need to know about. We hope they'll inspire you to add this much-needed skill to your bow, helping you earn more money and get greater creative satisfaction throughout the rest of your creative career.

1. Opening titles

Right now, fun and imaginative motion design is being used to liven up opening titles to shows and movies in new and eye-catching ways. This marvellously inventive opening sequence to the BBC and Netflix drama series Good Omens offers a great example.

2. Kinetic typography

Using moving text to grab attention, kinetic typography is being used everywhere from brand websites to social video. One of our recent favourites is this stretching logo by Jelio Dimitrov for FourPlus Studio .

Image courtesy of FourPlus Studio

3. Onboarding animations

Onboarding illustrations are becoming a popular way to guide users through apps and flatten the learning curve. Above you can see an impressive example from Virgil Pana.

Image courtesy of Virgil Pana

4. Explainer videos

Over the last decade, motion graphics have been the go-to for explainer videos, from showing how an app worked to outlining airline safety procedures. This has created a virtuous circle, whereby an audience greeted with a motion graphics explainer video is subconsciously prompted to pay attention. This video for the in-house services app Varpet by Yanns Media is a particularly lovely example.

5. Social media GIFs for marketing

Animated GIFs used to be something that only bored teenagers made for sharing with their friends on Tumblr. But times have changed. Clever use of motion graphics is elevating the animated GIF to the level of serious marketing tool, especially on social media where, for example, Facebook and Instagram allow videos to play on a loop. This GIF created by NBC News, poking fun at the Oscars debacle when La La Land was accidentally announced as Best Picture, is still one of our favourites to this day.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by NBC News (@nbcnews) on Feb 27, 2017 at 3:39pm PST

6. Cinemagraphs

A more sophisticated take on the animated GIF, cinemagraphs are another great way to lure eyeballs towards brand advertising and digital content. But incorporating very subtle movement in an otherwise still-looking image, they're often more potent in grabbing attention than their more frenetic counterparts. Here's a great example created by Anne Street Studio to promote Armani, under the tagline "Seeing New York".

Image courtesy of Anne Street Studio/Armani

Learn motion design with Created

Created offers a nine-month, part-time course that will teach you the skills you need to become a motion designer, in a flexible way that you can combine with your job or education.

Whether your background is in graphic design or animation, this course will give you the training you need to master the art of motion design. You'll learn all the fundamentals of motion (using Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D software), but there's a strong professional focus on the course too.

Throughout the course, you'll tackle real-world briefs under the guidance of your mentor, plus a series of one-to-one coaching sessions. The curriculum is closely aligned with what employers in today's creative world need from motion designers, so you'll be in a great position to be the perfect fit for any job you apply for.

By the end, you'll have five professional-level projects for your portfolio. And you'll be able to do all of this in a flexible way that suits your lifestyle. To learn more about how to become a motion designer, visit Created today .

Top motion design trends

So where is the discipline heading in the future, and what are the biggest motion design trends right now? Here are a few we've spotted recently:

1. Artistic expression

We're all familiar with a particular style of flat, 2D motion design that's been commonplace in everything from UI design to explainer videos for some time. But recently, we've been seeing more motion designers injecting a little more artistic expression into their work. Barcelona studio Nice Shit offers a beautiful example in this recent video they created in the early days of the Covid-19 crisis.

2. Thin lines and outlines

Recalling classic 1950s American animation style, thin lines are a great way to add a touch of retro elegance to your motion graphics. This campaign for Airbnb Pacific by Oddfellows is a typical example of the trend in action.

3. Mixed media

A great way to make an impact with your motion graphics is to combine them with other media, such as photography. In this fabulous spot, Jack Cunningham's combination of hand-drawn and photorealistic 3D animation showcases Vitra's Mariposa sofa in an original and striking way.

It's no longer enough for graphic designers only to produce motion graphics in 2D. Right now, 3D is hugely in demand, and often, the more colourful and neon-tastic the better. Above is an eye-popping example crafted by Argentian studio Not Real , to promote new editions of the Nike Air Max React & The Air Max Plus, released on National Bubble Gum Day.

motion design case study

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Motion graphics allow Nextech’s complex products to be explained simply.

Nextech has been one of our best clients. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with their creative team and producing motion graphics that appeal to their customers. 

Our objective from the start has been creating motion graphics that effectively communicate their brand message. While helping illustrate the value of their products and services. The knowledge base for their suite of products is dense. We were tasked with producing short videos that describe all their EMR and PM solutions along with their value propositions. The explainer videos live on most of the service pages within the Nextech website. The homepage hosts an overall brand message animation to kick things off. 

The value we brought to the table was being able to distill all of the information and serve it to their customers with easy-to-understand motion graphics. The key is to keep the messaging short and making sure they understand it with one interaction. So anyone from 8 to 80 will understand the message the first time. We’ve been doing this since 2001 we are adept in producing design concepts that most people can connect with. These videos create a gateway for people to take action! The possibilities are endless with motion graphics, and the creative direction is only limited by one’s imagination. Below is our latest motion design, as we begin to update some of the older content. 

Nextech has been one of our best clients and it’s been a pleasure collaborating with their creative team. Our objective from the start has been creating motion graphics that effectively and clearly communicate their brand message and help illustrate the value of their products. The knowledge base for their suite of products is dense. We were tasked with producing short videos that describe all their EMR and PM solutions and their value propositions. The explainer videos live on most of the service pages within the Nextech website. With an overall brand essence video on their home page. The value we brought to the table was being able to distill all the information and serve it to their customers in an easy to understand motion graphics. The key is to keep the messaging short and making sure they understand it with one interaction. We also made the videos accessible to a broad audience as we picked design concepts that anyone can connect with. These videos create a gateway for people to take action. The possibilities are endless with motion graphics and the creative direction is only limited by one’s imagination. The first example is our latest motion design as we begin to update some of the older content. We also produce their annual Edge Conference animation ever year. These videos play on three large screens and are used to prepare the audience for what to expect from the conference and get them excited about the brand. These videos also act as an opener for the CEO. Here you will see two styles that we created for Edge.

Nextech’s Yearly EDGE Conferences

We also produce their annual Edge Conference animation every year. These videos play on three large screens and is used to prepare the audience for what to expect from the conference, and get them excited about the brand. They also act as an opener for the CEO. Our creative team produces animations that will make an emotional connection with our client’s audience. Below, you can check out the videos that we created for Edge for the past three years. You’ll notice that there’s a difference in art direction for each video. Thanks for viewing. 

Nextech has been one of our best clients and it’s been a pleasure collaborating with their creative team. Our objective from the start has been creating motion graphics that effectively and clearly communicate their brand message and help illustrate the value of their products. The knowledge base for their suite of products is dense. We were tasked with producing short videos that describe all their EMR and PM solutions and their value propositions. The explainer videos live on most of the service pages within the Nextech website. With an overall brand essence video on their home page. The value we brought to the table was being able to distill all the information and serve it to their customers in an easy to understand motion graphics. The key is to keep the messaging short and making sure they understand it with one interaction. We also made the videos accessible to a broad audience as we picked design concepts that anyone can connect with. These videos create a gateway for people to take action. The possibilities are endless with motion graphics and the creative direction is only limited by one’s imagination. The first example is our latest motion design as we begin to update some of the older content. We also produce their annual Edge Conference animation ever year. These videos play on three large screens and are used to prepare the audience for what to expect from the conference and get them excited about the brand. These videos also act as an opener for the CEO. Here you will see two styles that we created for Edge.

Do you need a brand refresh or a new website?

Please contact us and we’ll be happy to explain our process with you.

motion design case study

RUN MOTION DESIGN PROJECTS

The right way 🎯, the proven process distinguished designers & studios use to charm clients. 👇👇👇, join 1000+ legends 🚀.

David Ariew - Process of Motion Alumni

This class falls into freaky genius category for me. I was impressed by the core theory section, but the case study really tied the conceptual stuff together and took it to an insane level . Man, I can’t thank you enough for this masterpiece. It’s unlike any other motion course I’ve ever seen.

David Ariew

AE, C4D Artist & Octane Jesus

arievvisuals.com

Alex Pyrenis - Process of Motion Alumni

This goes way beyond education that plainly focuses on the technical side. It single-handedly taught me more about being a Motion Designer than 2 years of official education. The course helps the areas that Motion Designers lack; the actual directing of the piece, and keeping clients happy (which no one ever talks about).

Alex Pyrenis

Freelance Motion Graphic Designer

behance.net/a_pirenis

Eric Small  - Process of Motion Alumni

Most courses I’ve taken focus on button pushing and mouse clicking . It wasn’t until I got into the industry that I started learning about pitches, contract negotiations, etc. For someone getting their start in freelancing, or a seasoned vet going off on their own, the information you provided is gold!

Technical Director / Senior Animator

MadMicrobe Studios

motion design case study

✅ 50+ Video Lessons ✅ 200+ page e-Book ✅ 12 Guides, Templates & Presets ✅ 19 Breakdown Videos ✅ Proofs, WIPs & Client Feedback ✅ Unlimited Questions & Answers ✅ 150gb+ Source Files ✅ 21hrs+ of Bonus Time-lapses

👉 or 6 smaller payments of $219  👈

✅ 50+ Video Lessons ✅ 200+ page e-Book ✅ 12 Guides, Templates & Presets ✅ 19 Breakdown Videos ✅ Proofs, WIPs & Client Feedback ✅ Unlimited Questions & Answers ❌ 150gb+ Source Files ❌ 21hrs+ of Bonus Time-lapses

👉 or 6 smaller payments of $110  👈

✅ 12 Tiny Taster Lessons

Free to join

(All include a 2 week love-it-or-leave-it guarantee . Full refund, no questions asked. 🤫)

Sam Tato - Process of Motion Alumni

A client reached out to me for a job and I’ve never done direct to client work while freelancing. I had no clue what I was doing so I bought the course and just followed it step by step. The client said they got 10 other quotes and they went with me because they were so impressed by the proposal . Spent $500 on the course which landed me a job for $52,000. Incredible course, huge thanks!!

3D Artist & Motion Designer

samtato.com

Doug Brown - Process of Motion Alumni

The Process of Motion is an absolute gem of a course . It combines battle tested industry knowledge with a fanatically engaging and original presentation. It's a true delight to watch. Perfect for anyone beginning their Freelance journey, and immeasurably valuable for anyone already with a Freelance career that is looking to comprehensively tighten up their whole game.

Freelance Motion Graphics & VFX Artist

John Roche  - Process of Motion Alumni

This is truly the material that Motion Designers don’t know that they need . It is an essential step in furthering their career! It’s an original concept that deserves as much attention as it can get from those looking to accelerate their Motion Design wisdom as opposed to the ubiquitous technical classes available.

Visual Artist

artstation.com/johnroche

WATCH THE VIDEO  👇

Meet the teach 🤓.

Greetings! I’m Daniel Danielsson.

I started my very first Design & Animation company in 2010 . The reel featured me getting hit by a car (VideoCopilot tutorial style), the world exploding (twice) and my friend’s skull imploding. I sincerely hope no one ever finds it.

Since then I’ve moved up a bit. I’ve worked on beautiful brands with industry heavyweights like The Mill , Saatchi & Saatchi , and Leo Burnett , and I'm now Creative Director at Savage & Civil .

In 2016 I started spreading the love for Motion Design through my YouTube channel , where I've successfully spread it to over 1 million people. Watch out, you could be next.

If you know my channel, you know my vibe. The Process of Motion has the same flow, lame jokes and bad language. But the knowledge is from a whole other dimension .

See you there.​

Motion Design Teacher Daniel Danielsson giving a talk at London Motion Meetups

GOING FROM GOOD TO GREAT 💎

Learning cool animation techniques is all well and good. But – if you want to separate yourself from the pack – you need a different set of skills .

👉   Skills you can't learn from a thousand daily renders or personal projects.

👉   Skills that $50,000+ university courses hardly even touch.

👉   Skills you only get from experience as a Designer, Producer, Creative & Art Director.

This Motion Graphic Design course is not about pushing pixels or buttons. It’s about pushing the quality of your creative , collaborative , and business skills .

That’s what separates good artists from great ones, and what keeps their clients coming back for more.

10+ YEARS OF INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE IN 10 DAYS

In this extreme sport version of an online Motion Design course I’ll explain every step of an optimised Motion Graphic Design Process. You will learn how to:

✅  Direct Motion Design projects of any scale

✅ Know what clients and agencies expect at each stage of a project

✅ Create, break down and respond to briefs

✅ Master the finances of freelance: estimates , quotes , proposals , and invoices

✅ Anticipate and overcome cost objections

✅ Create treatments , concept decks , and presentations that clients love

✅ Perfectly plan , structure , and manage projects

✅ Plough through pre-production: Styleframes , Scripts , Storyboards , Animatic

✅ And breeze through production: Previs , Roughcut & Proofing

✅ Juggle, respond to and counter feedback

In a matter of weeks you’ll gain 10 years worth of knowledge from within the Motion Design and Animation industry. Pit-falls and cheeky little secrets included.

Get the skills to work flawlessly with both clients and agencies .

About the course  🗺️, core theory.

A hefty dose of knowledge about Client Service , Project Management , Creative and Art Direction and Motion Design Production .

Part one of the course includes:

     👨‍🏫  54 succinct Lessons in 5 Chapters

     📖  200-page e-Book for easy reference

     🚩  Common issues and how to solve them

     🔗  References , assets , and further reading

The chapters represent the phases of a comprehensive Motion Graphic Design project. All visualised & explained through the magic of ✨ Animation ✨.

Lemme break it down for you.

A graphic of the process of motion design (simplified)

BRIEF & RESPONSE

Breaking down client briefs

Responding to briefs

Estimating & quoting projects

Overcoming cost objections

Preventing scope creep

Creating Project Plans

Illustration of a Gantt-style project plan

CHAPTER 2:  

Organising shit (files, feedback, etc.)

Job naming & numbering

Folder structuring

Tracking time, deliveries & feedback

Creating online project hubs

Avoiding cold sweats

A nugget of gold in a turd. The perfect metaphor for the creative process.

CHAPTER 3: 

Neuroscience of ideas

Ideation tools & techniques

Developing concepts

Treatments / pitch decks / presentations

Developing story & flow

Storyboards, Styleframes & Animatics

Scissors cutting their way through 35mm film

CHAPTER 4: 

Workflow from pre-production to final

Previs and Roughcut

Delivering proofs

Responding to feedback

The feedback filtering effect

Final deliveries

Bloodied baseball bat with nails in it. Not the recommended way to chase payments.

CHAPTER 5: 

Final final deliveries

Chasing payments

Getting more work

Publishing & promoting your work

NORR Watches logo

NORR are about to release their flagship smartwatch carved from genuine Icelandic volcanic rock. Now they just need some Motion Design magic to launch it...

It's an impossibly big brief , tight budget , and ridonculous requirements . And you’ve got front row tickets to the whole spectacle. From brief to delivery.

NORR WATCHES - Launch Video Motion Graphic Design & 3D Animation Course

Trial by fire 🔥.

The theory is about to get real. The NORR case study shows you exactly how to apply the theory in the chaotic tempest of a client project .

See how the process stands up to assets that are never supplied, ever changing directions, shortened deadlines, and day-of-deadline changes.

Part two of the course contains:

     📼 19 (Painfully honest)  Breakdown Videos

     🧬 13 Concept & Process documents

     🔎 40+ Client Proofs

     🎁 17 Documents & Templates for use in your own projects

The case study gives you 100% insight into the NORR project. Yes, that includes fkups and embarrassment.

Sack of cash

All the hard numbers. The estimate, quote and invoice are created before your eyes.

Phone symbol

Listen in on calls with the client. Negotiations, fledgling friendships and all.

Motion designer working from home and living the dream

Join me in suffering from feedback and changes throughout the project.

Cogs symbol

THOUGHT PROCESS

Enter my brain-office and see the gears turn as we come up with solutions and ideas.

Symbol of a fish with legs trotting along

CLIENT PROOFS

Ugly duckling to beautiful swan. All stages of the project are there to point and laugh at.

Error symbol

TRIAL & ERROR

This isn’t just the sunny side. Even pros make mistakes and their pain is your gain.

It’s the Motion Design version of  "Being John Malkovich" .

Source files.

If you really really want to get deep into the software side of the project, you can. The ultimate version of the course includes:

   🎥 17 Cinema 4D original scene files

   📸 100+ production quality Textures

   🌋 67GB+ Turbulence FD and X-Particles simulations

   🏔 5 World Machine procedural landscape scenes

   🎞 90GB+ CG Renders as layered EXR sequences

   🎬 Full After Effects compositing files

You get everything you need to rip the project apart & put it back together. If the client wanted these files I'd charge them about US$203,864. (That's explained on the course.)

A graphic of the process of motion source file folders

Oh, and you also get over 21 hours of time-lapses from the NORR project.

(From about 500 hours of recorded footage)

IS IT FOR YOU? 👀

This course will help you get the absolute most out of your technical skills , your projects , and your clients .

Remco van der Meer  - Process of Motion Alumni

I used to be a chaotic designer. I try to keep organised, but in about a week I can’t find assets, feedback or e-mails, etc. This course taught me how to keep the shizzle organised and tackle the communication part with clients. Anyone that is a creative should take this course.

Remco van der Meer

Pixel Lab OG & Freelance 3D Artist

thepixellab.net

Anfelica Öberg  - Process of Motion Alumni

The Process of Motion can make a project a hundred times smoother and more efficient. This course is so detailed that I can’t compare it to any course I’ve taken before. This is a must before taking on any serious projects if you don’t want it to go to 💩. Honestly!

Angelica Öberg

Graphic Designer

the-studio.se

Gustaf Fjelstrom - Process of Motion Alumni

Most of the stuff in your course are things that I learned over 20 years in the agency life... My formal education covered none of this! I wish I had this when I was starting out. I would definitely recommend your course.

Gustaf Fjelstrom

Motion Designer / recovering Creative Director

botched.com

JOIN NOW, DECIDE LATER 🍰

Decisions can be difficult. That’s why the course has a 2 week love-it-or-leave-it guarantee .

Just choose your version of the course below and boom! Instant lifetime access.

If you change your mind or don't like it, just let me know within 14 days and un-boom! Full refund . Like it never happened.

No questions asked. 🤫

A slice of cake to represent that you can, in fact, have your cake and eat it too.

For the ultimate connoisseur . This one comes with everything. If you’re into both Cinema 4D and spending money, this is the clear choice for you.

👉  or 6 smaller payments of $219   👈

  • 54 Lessons on the Motion Design Process
  • 200-page E-Book version of the lessons
  • References , assets , and further reading
  • Certificate of Completion
  • Unlimited Questions & Answers
  • Lifetime Access

NORR CASE STUDY

  • 19 Breakdown Videos
  • 13 Concept and Process documents
  • 40+ Client Proofs
  • Client Brief Guide
  • Self-critique Guide
  • Final Delivery QC Checklist

ASSETS, TEMPLATES AND TRACKERS:

  • Quote & Terms (Google Sheets)
  • Project Plan (Google Sheets)
  • Treatment / Concept Deck (Google Slides)
  • Visual Script (Google Docs)
  • Storyboard (Google Slides)
  • Feedback Tracker (Google Sheets)
  • Deliveries Tracker (Google Sheets)
  • VT Countdown Clock Asset (After Effects)
  • Folder Structure Preset
  • 17 Cinema 4D original scene files
  • 100+ high-quality Textures
  • 67GB+ Turbulence FD and X-Particles volcanic fluid sims
  • 5 World Machine procedural landscape scenes
  • 90GB+ CG Renders as layered EXR sequences
  • Full After Effects compositing files

21+ hours of time-lapses from the NORR project (from 500+ hours of footage)

JOIN MASTER NOW

All of the knowledge, examples, breakdowns and templates. If you’re here for professional Motion Design and Animation, this is the one for you.

👉  or 6 smaller payments of $110   👈

JOIN DEDICATED NOW

Mini, tiny, nibble, fun-size. A slice of the pie no matter the pennies, putting some very essential knowledge within reach of every Motion Designer.

JOIN LITE NOW

Full curriculum 📋.

  • What is this online course? (5:59) Start
  • INTRO / Brief (1:05) Start
  • Parts of a Brief (5:04) Start
  • Breaking down a Brief (2:22) Start
  • When there is no Brief (2:40) Start
  • Common Issues with Briefs (4:21) Start
  • INTRO / Response to Brief (1:03) Start
  • Elements of a Response (3:35) Start
  • Estimating Time and Money (4:54) Start
  • Giving a Quote (6:00) Start
  • Dealing with Objections to Cost (3:30) Start
  • The Project Plan (1:44) Start
  • Common Issues when Responding to Briefs (0:46) Start
  • Resources & reading Start
  • NORR Breakdown / The Brief (28:23) Start
  • NORR Breakdown / The Estimate (19:47) Start
  • NORR Breakdown / The Quote & Project Plan (17:40) Start
  • INTRO / Project Management (0:48) Start
  • Job Names & Numbers (1:50) Start
  • Folder Structure (5:11) Start
  • Tracking Time (1:16) Start
  • Tracking Feedback (2:25) Start
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  • The Delivery (3:05) Start
  • The Invoice (3:31) Start
  • Now What? (5:06) Start
  • Publishing your Project (6:47) Start
  • Common Issues in the Aftermath (4:40) Start
  • NORR Breakdown / Debrief (12:29) Start
  • Farewell my friends (6:35) Start

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 🙋

Have a question that’s not on here? Send me an email at [email protected] m and I'll get back to you asap.

motion design case study

What software do I need?

A web browser. That’s it. Whatever your weapon of choice: C4D, Blender, After Effects, Maya, Houdini, 3DS Max, Lightwave. The process is still the process. To get full use out of the NORR Source Files from the Master version you will need Cinema 4D, Turbulence FD, X-Particles, and Arnold Renderer.

motion design case study

Does the course teach Cinema 4D?

The course won't teach you any new Cinema 4D tricks. It’s about the whole creative & concept, client, and project management aspect of Motion. Not the button-pressing itself.

motion design case study

When does the course start?

I’m ready when you are. This is an on-demand course. As soon as you enrol you’ll get access to all the lessons and you'll be able to request access to the assets and templates. I'm always ready to answer any questions you pop in the comments. (The NORR Source Files unlock 14 days after enrolment.)

motion design case study

How long is the course?

Most people complete it within a month, but feel free to take it at your own pace. You could smash through it all in a workday if you don’t eat or take bathroom breaks, but I’m not sure that’s the best way to learn...

motion design case study

For how long can I access the course?

Until death do us part. You’ve got lifetime access. You can take as long as you like, come back as often as you want. Even after death, if you come back as a ghost, you’re welcome to keep watching the lectures and refreshing your memory.

motion design case study

What are the lectures like?

Try the LITE version above. It's completely free and gives you a vibe of the content for the full course. Something you can dip your toe into before taking the plunge.

motion design case study

Does the course work on a mobile or tablet device?

Oh heckers yea. This course is built with Teachable and is fully responsive. Androids, iPhones, Tablets, maybe even your 'smart' TV should be no problemo.

motion design case study

Can I really get a refund for any reason?

Yes, you can ask for a refund for literally any reason. It does not have to be a good reason.

motion design case study

I’m not a motion designer, what will I get out of the course?

If you work with any type of moving pictures that involve clients this course will be useful to you. But especially if you work with animation, and especially 3D. That’s why I called it “Process of Motion” and not “Process of 3D Animation”.

motion design case study

I use Blender or some other wild software, should I still get the course?

Yes. But I would recommend the “Dedicated Designer” version of the course. It’s all about the process, and working with clients. But nothing in there is specific to any 3D software.

motion design case study

How do the Assets and NORR source files get delivered?

Part of your course bundle will be a link to a Google Drive folder where you can request access. The NORR Source Files unlock 14 days after enrolment. It’s all split into folders and not just a single megachonk of a 170gb download, so you can browse, look at, and pick files to download.

motion design case study

How am I allowed to use the NORR source files? What’s the license?

The source files from the NORR case study are licensed as CC BY-NC . This means you can do whatever you want with them for personal use. All kinds of cool shit. Just don't use them for profit, and don't share the files themselves. (I'd love to see what you do with them too, so send a link my way if you can.)

I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to both PixelPlow and Arnold Renderer who have sponsored the making of this course.

Process of Motion Design Online Course sponsored by PixelPlow Online Render farm

Process of Motion Design Online Course by Daniel Danielsson

Still Motion Limited is registered in England and Wales. Company number 10175035. VAT Number GB 246 5639 80

Design Case Study: Computer Graphics Animation

Design Case Study: Computer Graphics Animation

Nowadays animation has a lot of various functions from highly practical to purely decorative ones. The animation we are analyzing this time is thematically decorative. This is the piece of motion graphics developed by the Tubik animation guru Kirill as a rebound on Easter and spring icons created by Arthur Avakyan.

easter icons animation design

As well as the icons, the animation piece is the product uniquely created by Tubik Studio at all the stages.

tubik designers brainstorm

Creating a piece of animation applying specified tools with the aim of promoting the icons set.

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects

The idea of the animated shot was based on the set of Easter icons by Arthur Avakyan.

easter icons design

Inspired by their style, the designer for Tubik Studio Kirill decided to choose two of them as the material for a motion design sample. The work had not only decorative and entertaining but also promotional aims as it was going to become the animated versions to present the icons as the product for buyers. Somehow, it was not the usual work as the designer wanted to combine the idea with practicing the Shape tool of Adobe After Effects.

animation process

One more essential thing about Shape is that it enables the designer to create a dynamic shadow that is natural, lively, and corresponds to the movements of the objects. This can be seen in the animation presented. This time work with a dynamic shadow was much simpler due to the Shape tool. It provides designers with a higher level of functional abilities for creating more complicated and interesting motion graphic works.

animated illustration design process

Easter piece of animation was the first work fully based on After Effects Shape and this shot gave the designer a chance to feel all its advantages. Since then, Kirill has been actively applying Shape working with animation for interfaces which nowadays is included in the list of top practically useful motion graphics.

Major benefits of the Shape tool to be mentioned are the following:

  • it gives more additional features than PNG
  • it provides automatic processing and adjustment of changes during manipulations with an image
  • it gives the significantly smaller size of the final file and that feature makes it highly attractive for work with customers while sending the files
  • it creates one and the single file without tying it up to the elements as in PNG.

Processing images for motion design is always creative and full of thorough work on details and nuances. Thus, tools and features providing a motion designer with opportunities to process images faster not losing in efficiency are always highly appreciated by designers. So, they obviously have to be the subject of consideration for developers of designing software. And no doubt, that is all fair to say about the Shape tool of After Effects.

Originally written for Tubik Blog

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  • LEARNING HUB

The Creative Toolkit for Marketers

10 principles of motion design.

Adam Crawford

Graphic design and motion design (or as I like to call it, cool looking pixels) don’t have hard and fast, right or wrong ways to do things like other fields do. There’s no quantified rule for the right way to animate a text callout in a corporate explainer.

What we do have are general principles to follow.

Back in 1981, two of the lead animators for Disney – from the Snow White age (1937) to The Rescuers (1977) age – wrote the definitive book on animation; “Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life” which included the 12 Principles of Animation.

These principles have become the gold standard for learning how to make the next Pocahontas or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

While these are great, they are written with stories that include dialogue and characters in mind rather than products, services, and explainers.

The 10 Principles of Motion Design

Esteemed motion designer, JR Canest of Vancouver, BC, solved this issue by coming up with a list of the 10 Principles of Motion Design based on the original 12. These 10 principles are as follows:

  • Timing, Spacing, and Rhythm
  • Mass & Weight
  • Anticipation
  • Squash, Stretch & Smears  
  • Follow Through & Overlapping Action
  • Exaggeration  
  • Secondary and Layered Animation

FREE DOWNLOAD: ANIMATION PROCESS ONE-SHEET

1. Timing, Spacing, and Rhythm

Motion design adds the 4th dimension to graphic design . This principle is centered around the ways we can interact with time. We can change the frame rate of an animation. We can change the way objects change in relation to the audio’s rhythm. We can also change how fast a property changes over time with animation curves.

For instance, if you have a heavy, plodding beat, movements that correspond with the downbeats of the song can make the contents of the video feel epic, confident, and powerful.

This principle refers to a technical side of motion design and how that technical knowledge is applied to creative decisions. How quickly and smoothly something changes in a video affects how we feel about it. Eases control exactly that.

Eases are graphs we use to animate the rates of change for different properties. They’re named as such because when you change two values in After Effects or other animation software, you’re also dictating how you want it to ease out of the first value and into the next value.

3. Mass & Weight

In the real world, a physical object’s movement is based on its mass and weight.

A car is a heavy object, so it takes a lot of force for it to come to a stop if it’s moving quickly. On the other hand, a Hot Wheels toy car can easily be stopped even if it’s moving at the same speed as the real car.

When animating abstract imagery, it’s important to think about how heavy and how massive the imagery is and how that influences the way it moves. This is because our eyes are evolved to interpret the real world, not abstract imagery. As much as we think of ourselves as people disconnected from our animal origins, we aren’t. Our eyes still use information about how things around us move to interpret what those things mean to us.

4. Anticipation

Before you make any movement, your body moves in the opposite direction first so that it can create enough momentum to execute the movement you want to make.

A good example of this is this video of a baseball pitcher in 1,000 FPS (frames per second).

See how his throwing arm moves back before throwing the ball forward?

To emphasize a change and show that it requires a large amount of force, add a backwards change first. Showing a change in the opposite direction first can also clue in a viewer on where to look in a frame before the main change happens.

Movement in nature doesn’t happen in straight lines. Myriad forces affect how an object moves through space, whether it’s gravity, momentum, or physical limits like the reach of the arm.

To make your animations more naturalistic, add arcs to the movement of even abstract imagery. It’s what our primate eyes like looking at so give them what they want.

6. Squash, Stretch & Smears

As objects in reality ( noticing a pattern here?) move, the forces they encounter like the ground or the air they move through affect their form. The more malleable they are, the more this change occurs.

Applying this to abstract graphics gives the animation more life and tells the viewer more about what tone the video is trying to achieve.

7. Follow Through & Overlapping Action

In the same way that movements have anticipatory movements, changes that require a large amount of force take a lot of force to stop them.

Look again at the baseball pitcher:

His right leg flies up at the end of his pitch because of all of the forward momentum he’s putting into the ball. Also, his throwing arm isn’t the only thing moving throughout his pitching windup. He has multiple overlapping movements that are part of putting momentum into the ball. They don’t all start at the same time or end at the same time either.

When animating change, staggering the different parameters that you have animated so that they don’t all end at the same time can help make an animation look more naturalistic and energetic.

8. Exaggeration

When we look at a real object, we have no cause to believe that it isn’t real. Abstract animation doesn’t have that luxury. We have, by definition, made something artificial.

A simple square doesn’t have all of the attributes that a person does that clue us into their vitality and personality. So how can we make an animation of a square hold the viewer’s attention the same way a person can?

The answer: exaggeration.

If we exaggerate the changes of the square, we can make up for the deficit of attributes that communicate vitality and personality. If the square needs to hop, like in the gif below, make it hang in the air longer, or make it fall faster, or show its shape deforming.

9. Secondary and Layered Animation

A singular change to a bit of abstract imagery is, to put it kindly, too simple. If a line of text simply fades on, it can be boring on its own.

Simple things have to work very hard to retain our attention. If you can find additional ways to show that an object is going through change, especially if the additional ways add new meaning to the base change, you can add interest and exaggeration to an animation.

For example, by adding a rectangle behind the fading on text that slides in from offscreen in a movement that evokes a drifting car, a viewer might think of that text as having a cool and everything’s-under-control tonality to it.

This last principle is simple yet incredibly important. Is the animation and design appealing to look at?

Sure, you can have all sorts of layered information and cleverly animated frames but if they’re not good-looking pixels, your viewer simply isn’t going to watch.

We’re making animation to communicate ideas about topics that aren’t always all that exciting on their surface. Make sure you make it fun.

Implementing Motion Design to Your Marketing Strategy

Whether you’re an aspiring animator, someone in the market for a motion graphics video, or someone who simply enjoys learning the craft, understanding these 10 principals can help spark inspiration for your next project.  

The beauty of creating motion graphics and animation is there’s no right way to do it. Experiment with different techniques, incorporate some or all of the 10 principles we've just outlined, and you’ll surely find a creative option to portray your messaging through motion design.

Click the image below to download the free eBook, The Marketers Guide to Animation

The Marketer's Guide to Animation

Tags: Animation , Animated Video , Graphic design , motion graphics , Motion design

Adam Crawford

Written by Adam Crawford

Adam Crawford is a motion graphics designer at VMG Studios. Outside of work he cuddles with his cats, reads comics, or is planning opportunities for puns in normal conversation.

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Empowering Crypto Investors.

Nansen is a blockchain analytics platform that adds wallet labels to on-chain data to provide deeper insights. Cryptocurrency investors use Nansen to find investment opportunities, perform due diligence, and protect their portfolios with real-time alerts and dashboards.

There’s an emerging desire from clients to gain deeper insights into the wallets transacting on-chain, and that’s what Nansen is here to do. Since its inception in 2019, Nansen has rapidly emerged as a foremost source of Ethereum data and analytics.

Nansen team wanted to get their name out there. They needed a video that would tell people just what they’re about in a fun yet informative way. With how complicated blockchain technology can be, simplicity was important to best visualize the entire story.

How we did it

The style sheet.

Nansen’s all about keeping this informative, so we wanted to make the design clean but still visually appealing.

Nansen Stylesheet for Motion

We decided on a 2.5D isometric design, with glowing elements to really make the animation pop. This was all tailored to Nansen’s own brand design, with dark colours that rest easy on the eyes.

The Storyboard (Preliminary Sketches)

To break down the concepts of blockchain technology into an approachable form, we used motion graphics to create visual metaphors for its processes.

Motion design storyboard sketch nansen

Playing around with size, motion, and other geometrical visual elements, we created a flow that turned Nansen’s goals and functions into an animated sequence.

The Storyboard (Vector Version)

Nansen was pretty happy with the initial sketches, so it was just small tweaks that had to be made. We first adapted the designs to Nansen’s brand colors and style.

Motion storyboard in vector

Then, after some minor visual tweaks to make it really pop, we turned the original sketches into vector images. Unlike normal images made of pixels, which can blur when resized, vector images are created with math formulas that keep them clear at any size. This ensured that the images stayed high quality even when zoomed!

There were a couple of trip-ups and constraints in this process.

One big challenge was mixing real 3D elements with fake isometrics in a 2.5D environment. What that means is that we had to make flat images (the isometrics) look like they’re in a 3D space, while also incorporating actual 3D models into the same animation. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but the final look was all worth it.

Challenges - 2.5D & 3D objects

Another challenge? Time. We had a tight deadline of just 3-4 weeks to complete the video. But with our skilled team and speedy feedback from Nansen, we managed to hit the deadline with no quality sacrificed.

With the final designs and animations done, it was time for the finishing touches. A female voiceover was added, walking the viewer through Nansen’s mission and functions with smooth narration. We also threw in an upbeat music track that matched the motion graphics to give it that extra kick.

After the whole process, this was the completed video.

Garnering over 50,000 views just a month after release, it was a huge success, kickstarting the journeys of investing with Nansen for many people.

Video Style: Motion Graphics + 3D

Client: nansen pte. ltd., client’s website: nansen.ai, need a video like this, our account manager will be more than happy to speak to you..

IMAGES

  1. Full case study: Motion design, interaction interface. on Behance

    motion design case study

  2. Full case study: Motion design, interaction interface. on Behance

    motion design case study

  3. Full case study: Motion design, interaction interface. on Behance

    motion design case study

  4. Motion Foundation

    motion design case study

  5. Case study: animation. Designing motion

    motion design case study

  6. A Guide to Motion Design Principles

    motion design case study

VIDEO

  1. Class Design Case Study 1: (part 4 of 4) Caching Results

  2. Tide Building

  3. Whalley Precision Web Showcase Before and After

  4. What's Motion Design? History, theory and more

  5. Brand Identity Case Study

COMMENTS

  1. Case Study: Motion Design for New Product Page

    Case Study: Motion Design for New Product Page. Last year, I had the privilege of helping out with the newly designed product page¹ for my company. I'm going to break down between high level ...

  2. Case Study: Animation. Motion Graphics Design

    Case Study: Animation. Designing Motion Graphics. Case study on motion design by Tubik Studio. Design process description for animation in Adobe After Effects. Practical tips from professional motion designer. by Marina Yalanska and Kirill Yerokhin. This post continues our set of case studies. In addition to previous cases on designing the logo ...

  3. Great Sites for Motion Design Inspiration

    Without question, Stash has become one of my favorite sites for curated motion design, animation, video, and visual effects inspiration. Their permanent collection is incredibly deep, with interviews and breakdowns from the industry's top designers. Their news section also keeps us up to date on the latest trends, jobs, and events in our industry.

  4. Case Study: Google's Use of Motion Design in Their Products

    Impact: 580K+ views. User Experience Material Design, Google's design system, incorporates motion design principles to bring their surfaces to life. It emphasizes meaningful motion, ensuring that animations are functional, and are able to guide users through experiences with ease and intuition.

  5. Motion Design System

    This is a case study/guide for UI/UX designers and frontend developers for creating a motion design system, how to document it, and making an easy handoff.

  6. The 10 Best Motion Graphic Designer Portfolio Examples

    case study; evidence of your artistic style; something else, probably; Motion graphic designer portfolio examples. If you're a creative, you probably learn by seeing, so let's dive into the best motion graphic designer portfolio examples. Cornelia Ryås. Cornelia Ryås is a Swedish motion graphic designer and animator based in Stockholm.

  7. Motion in UX Design: 6 Effective Types of Web Animation

    Read about effective types of web animation and check plenty of motion design examples by tubik team, showing how motion supports web interactions and usability ... Fresh design case study with the detailed story of creating brand identity for Binned, the US-based cleaning service: check designs for the logo and branded items. Branding

  8. Motion Graphics Case Study, Motion Graphics Video

    Cases. Discover the creative brilliance of FireFish's Animation Design Cases. Our carefully curated portfolio showcases a diverse range of captivating and innovative animations. From visually stunning motion graphics to mesmerizing character animations, we bring stories to life. Explore our collection to witness the seamless blend of artistry ...

  9. Motion Design Case Studies

    Motion Design and Animation. Riss // Red Bull Documentary Working with the award-winning director, Peter Hamblin, we had a really fun time bringing his vision to life in the form of Animation and visual effects.

  10. P3P510

    P3P510 - A Case Study in Motion Design. Pablo E. Peña P. Have been four years that I don't work in anything related to motion design, since I left my job as director of Guayoyo Studio in Caracas, Venezuela. I was quite disappointed of the work with agencies, advertising, the would process, the clients, have always to compromise on quality ...

  11. motion design case study

    Designing Motion Graphics. Case study on motion design by Tubik Studio. Design process description for animation in Adobe After Effects. Practical tips from professional motion designer. read. More articles by themes. Books. design for business logo design problem-solving web design. UX.

  12. What's Motion Design?

    Case study: Khan Academy's use of motion design in educational content Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization, provides free online education to students worldwide. Its educational videos often feature motion graphics, including animated diagrams, illustrations, and text, to accompany the instructors' voice-over explanations.

  13. Motion Design Case Study

    Andrew Popplestone shared an awesome motion design case study for the Sky Sports rebrand. As part of the successful Sky Sports rebrand, Sky Creative Advertising tapped Territory to design new opening titles and content for the dedicated Super League channel.. With a vision to celebrate Sky's coverage of the sport with fresh energy, the brief included a 45 second opening title sequence for Sky ...

  14. Six brilliant examples of how motion design has taken over the creative

    3. Mixed media. A great way to make an impact with your motion graphics is to combine them with other media, such as photography. In this fabulous spot, Jack Cunningham's combination of hand-drawn and photorealistic 3D animation showcases Vitra's Mariposa sofa in an original and striking way. 4. Neon 3D.

  15. Nextech

    Motion graphics allow Nextech's complex products to be explained simply. Nextech has been one of our best clients. It's been a pleasure collaborating with their creative team and producing motion graphics that appeal to their customers. Our objective from the start has been creating motion graphics that effectively communicate their brand ...

  16. Building a motion design system for a product company

    Motion Design Principles 3. Defining Motion brand for your product: After defining principles, we returned to our branding documentation and picked words that helped us define the motion brand, i.e., quick, sharp, etc. We collected a few visuals to cue the motion feeling we want to express within our products. Based on these visual cues, we did ...

  17. Online Course

    Learn the industry secrets with the best Motion Design Course about working with clients in Motion Graphic Design & 3D Animation. Free Stuff Contact ... but the case study really tied the conceptual stuff together and took it to an insane level. Man, I can't thank you enough for this masterpiece. It's unlike any other motion course I've ...

  18. Design Case Study: Computer Graphics Animation

    Design Case Study: Computer Graphics Animation. Nowadays animation has a lot of various functions from highly practical to purely decorative ones. The animation we are analyzing this time is thematically decorative. This is the piece of motion graphics developed by the Tubik animation guru Kirill as a rebound on Easter and spring icons created ...

  19. Communicating motion design

    The motion spec should have the object, timing and transition metrics. Common motion metrics include position, height, scale, opacity, position, and fill changes. An object may have multiple ...

  20. 10 Principles of Motion Design

    1. Timing, Spacing, and Rhythm. Motion design adds the 4th dimension to graphic design. This principle is centered around the ways we can interact with time. We can change the frame rate of an animation. We can change the way objects change in relation to the audio's rhythm.

  21. Nansen

    With the final designs and animations done, it was time for the finishing touches. A female voiceover was added, walking the viewer through Nansen's mission and functions with smooth narration. We also threw in an upbeat music track that matched the motion graphics to give it that extra kick. After the whole process, this was the completed video.

  22. Motion Design Case Study :: Behance

    Graphic Design,Motion Graphics,Animation,Adobe After Effects,Adobe Illustrator,Adobe Photoshop

  23. Motion Study Projects

    Behance is the world's largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work