The growing opportunities in motion design

With digital technologies growing to build more innovative practices for all sectors, motion design is one discipline that is increasingly becoming important to brand to gain a competitive advantage.

Motion design is the careful amalgamation of the principles of graphic design, video production or filmmaking – using animation and visual effects. Have you encountered typography in motion, 3D short videos, animated graphics on your favourite website, or an animated text on a mobile application – that is a fine example of motion design in practice. Amalgamation of visual design, illustrations, filmmaking, use of technology, digital product design to animation is motion design.

Technology has been a key to the evolution in motion design and many traditional elements of graphic design are now modified with emerging tech to build digital and more luring elements in which are now an essential part of the designer’s toolkit. This toolkit aids the designer to work with time, space, and sound – all integrated into his design.

Also read: The future of mobile design led by emotional intelligence

How motion design impacts business?

Pandemic taught us how work can be achieved working remotely and pushed business of all kinds to go digital and embrace the new ways of gaming, shopping, working, socializing and more. Screens are now omnipresent in our lives – becoming more immersive, interactive, and engaging by the day.

If it’s not your brand offering the engaging experience, then the chances are your competition is. While one of the lead uses of motion design is the visual communication and brand identity section, another use of it is in building 3D training sessions, animated simulations – all leading to safer training in fields like construction, mining, heavy duty transportation etc.

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We can classify the use of motion design in the following sections, that also helps us to understand how almost majority of sectors are seeking for motion designer to join their team:

1. Visual communication:

Each brand needs to be able to communicate with their suppliers, vendors and customers. Motion aids designers to build effective communication with stakeholders by embracing the wide potential of animation. It helps them to communicate the right message with and emotional depth and make the design more responsive and empathetic.

2. Brand identity:

Animated logos, talking and moving type, graphic design that uses sound and slow transition movement to reflect its brand ideology, the storyline, and their mission – are all part of communicating a brand’s brand identity today. Interaction design (UX/UI) is using motion graphics to build strong brand identity elements within mobile applications and websites today that empower the customers emotionally and build unique connections.

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3. Lead generation for marketing and sales:

Social media channels, websites to mobile applications – everything is about digital ads for marketers today and motion graphics have become a prominent tool for lead generation.

Design with empathy is another tool in a designer’s toolkit connected with motion design, that is used widely in building visual communication, brand identity and in marketing activities.

4. Safe training:

Many industries that deal with heavy duty equipment use animated graphics with short videos today to explain to the user how to use a certain part, how to replace, how to safely go on with the machinery and when+how to stop in case of emergency.

5. Running simulation tests/ training:

Motion graphic design with the help of AI can build simulations that help, for example, farmers to understand what agriculture techniques may offer the best productivity. AI studies the local data of the soil, seed, and other conditions to suggest the best way to farm on the land with motion design graphics illustrating steps to perform the farming technique that further helps to increase yield, stay safe and make learning more fun.

For the health care and manufacturing sectors, 3D animations not only showcase how complex process are run, bringing each element to focus – which earlier may not be visible to the naked eye, but also on the best way to run them step by step.

Example: AXS Studio is known to build animation that can communicate complex medical concepts to both, health care experts and the public.

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6. Imparting education:

EdTech sector is fast growing and accepted to a large extent due to the ease of learning that motion graphics bring to the table. This form of imparting education has been found by experts to empower people in remote corners to learn and gain access to new information.

Understanding that the opportunities in motion design are only set to grow, designers should aim to complement their design practice with motion design. While some may entirely switch to motion graphic design, others may integrate a part of it to their practice – but there is no denial in how motion design is one of the leading bridges from 2D to 3D.

Motion design is here to compliment a brand and their products. A leading pharmaceutical brand like Pfizer is also using motion graphic design to bring their brand to life and make it more engaging with animated logos and wordmarks – offering a new visual treat and storytelling for their customers.

Motion design is building these micro-interactions that are proving to be core of the design strategy and aiding in designing better user experiences.

What motion design is working on is to activate the rather small and otherwise ignored parts of a design to build meaningful and empathetic interactions with the users – helping them set apart the brand from its competition.

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