What is Motion Graphics, Why It is Important, and Usage

From Ads to LED walls, motion graphics are everywhere but what is motion graphics, what is its history, where to use this art form, and why is it so important to use motion graphics for your brand to stay one step ahead in this competitive era? Read this article to get all the answers in one place. 

What is Motion Graphics

Motion graphics design is a type of graphic animation that moves. However, if there’s no movement, it can not be called motion. 

Motion graphic animation is different from animated films like Disney movies. Through the combination of sound and graphic elements, motion graphics video convey the message with texts and visually friendly designs. It involves thinking creatively, designing, and bringing elements to life.

A great example of graphic motion is “True Detective’s Opening Title”. It was the first series that showed the use of double exposure in one single image. Boy! Wasn’t it captivating? The opening credits are a visual candy that provides you with a reason to analyze the series and keeps you hooked on the episodes.    

The History of Motion Graphics

Before computers and smartphones, people drew logos and posters in canvases. When Television was invented, people thought about how beautiful could it be if we showed the graphics on TV. At first, people showed the graphics with hand-drawn images frame by frame, then black and white, and later in color. It was a slow and taxing process that took a lot of time, but if you still see those motion graphics now, you will enjoy their creativity and story.

The 40s: Oskar Fischinger and Norman McLaren were the first to introduce motion graphics in the 40s, however, it was still in the experimental phase. It took a solid shape in the 50s with the hands of amazing motion designers like Saul Bass, Pablo Ferro, and Maurice Binder. Saul Bass created many creative title sequences that are still considered legendary today. 

The ’70s: Motion designers started to make computer-generated graphics. They electronically generated characters, numbers, and letters. It was super expensive and time-consuming. To make successful motion graphics, designers and animators worked hand-in-hand. Designers made concepts and layouts while animators animated them.

The 90s: Motion graphic production became easier due to computers getting smaller, faster, and cheaper. Also, new inventions of motion graphics software – Adobe Illustrator (1987), Adobe Photoshop (1990), and Adobe After Effects (1993) made motion graphics much easier and cheaper to make. 

Motion designers are still using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe After Effects software to make amazing motion graphics for ads, movies, music videos, brand publicity, 3D walls, concerts, and other purposes. Now that high-quality computers and laptops are easily available at affordable prices, graphic designers can access to latest technology with ease and show their creativity.

Why Motion Graphics is important

Motion graphics can create an illusion and show graphic elements in different styles that no other thought. Here are some reasons why you need to use motion graphics for your brand.

It is the Trend Now

Motion graphics have been in the market since the 40s’. Though its usage was limited, motion designers made ads, TV commercials, and movie/miniseries opening titles with moving graphics. However, the horizon has spread and now people are using it everywhere to provide information with creativity and increase interactivity, engagement, and user experience.

Successful Branding in a Short Time

If you visit websites, you may notice most websites use pictures to promote their services or products. Utilizing pictures is cool to showcase your brand speciality but in this competitive era, you need something more to stand out. And that something is “Motion Graphics”.

Graphic motion simplifies the complex information within a minute or a few seconds of videos with elegance. You can show your brand specialty in your style using humans or animation without adding extra information, resulting in delivering the message effectively, popularizing your brand, and getting more customers in a short time.   

Tells Story Chronologically

Regardless of the theme, every motion design tells a story and takes viewers on a journey. You can make a full music video, short films, movie opening credits, brand promotional videos, or anything with graphic motion and it will tell a story. 

And every human being loves to hear and watch stories. When you can portray your brand story using motion graphics, the audience can relate to it and visit your site for more amazing content, increasing brand awareness and audience engagement.

Grab Audience Attention Instantly

Do you know what is the average attention span of human beings while looking at an advertisement? 0.8 seconds. Scary, right? Thus, you have 0.8 seconds to grab the audience’s attention and impress them with what you are offering. 

So, in this competitive era, motion graphics design is a great way to make your brand content interesting. There are no limits to creativity for motion graphics. You can take creative ideas from stop-motion or anywhere and implement them to stand out in your products or services and impress your audience instantly. 

Attract Broader Audience

The internet is full of accessible information now. Just one click and hundreds and thousands of answers can be found in seconds. And searchers only click on the content that looks visually attractive and easy to understand.

It is where motion graphics animation comes into play. You can choose an easy and attractive design that helps you portray and communicate your message quickly and show care for the audience. You can be as much creative as you want. Use animation, visual effects, music, and composite scenarios to create multilingual content for audiences all over the world. 

Increase User Experience

Motion graphics ensure a hassle-free user experience. It provides a seamless experience on both PC and Phone where users can find necessary information fast and fulfill the purpose of visiting the brand. 

You can add transitions, direct the audience in the right direction, and guide them to take action with visually attractive animations. You can also get instant feedback from the audience and fix any errors occurring in the website or apps. Remember, when users get a flawless experience from your website and apps, they always return, enhancing traffic and sales.

Where to Use Motion Graphics Design

Honestly, there are no types of motion graphics. If you see fit, you can use motion graphics animation anywhere to fulfill your purpose. 

• Animated Logos: Animated logos motion graphics add life to your brand, stand you out from your competition, and create value. Many brands started to make animated logos like Nikka Foroughi’s website. If you visit the website, you will feel like the teal hummingbird is truly talking to you, telling you about the brand, and enticing you to take action.
• Advertising: People used motion graphics design for advertising since the 70s and are still using them now because creating unique, fun, engaging, emotional, and memorable Ads leaves a long-lasting impact on the audience and guides them to visit your brand and take action.
• TV Opening Credits: Movies and series openings can make or break your show. Thus, to make TV opening credits eye-catching and interesting, use motion graphics. Here is an amazing example of TV opening credits from Megacursos.com called movie intro titles. You can see a couple’s love story from one single opening.
• TV Closing Credits: Movies and series closing credits are as important as opening credits. If you can create a memorable closing or show the aftermath using relevant and amazing motion graphics, the audience will complete the movie/series with a satisfied feeling.
• Websites: Animated graphics are not limited to TV and Ads anymore. People are creating high-quality motion graphics for their brands to showcase their products or services, mesmerize the audience, and elevate the brand value.
• Film/Movies/Music Videos: Before motion graphics were mostly used for opening titles and opening sequences in the movies. Now, Filmmakers have taken one step ahead and made amazing short movies with motion such as “Milo’s Best Destination“. With technological advancement, we’ll surely see more usage of motion in movies and music.
• Call-to-Action Buttons: With amazing motion promotional videos, you can entice your target audience to take action. 
• Social Media Call-to-Action: Creating simple and creative call-to-action for social media can elevate audience engagement, deliver effective messages, and increase sales rapidly. So, create motion graphics to elevate your social media sales by double. 
• LED Walls: Motion Ads bring life to your products on LED Walls that can be seen from 100 feet away, mesmerizing the audience to visit your online and offline shop. 
• Animated Infographics: Motion designers also make informational animated infographics to show within news broadcasts and increase engagement.
• Website UI/UX Design: To keep up with modern trends, graphic designers started to develop many modern websites using creative UI/UX design.     
• Explainer Videos: Using design elements, images, texts, and concepts, graphic designers represent valuable information in the news and pop culture. You can also add voiceovers to communicate with your audience.   
• Animated Presentations: You use motion graphics animation presentation to convey your message and information interactively and in proper sequence for events or even business deals.  
• Computer Games: If you play games, you know motion graphics have reached games as well. With creative design, characters, animation, and visual effects, motion designers make amazing fun games. 
• Concerts and Events: In concerts and events many infographics, images, and moments are portrayed in between breaks. Making all these videos with motion graphics will keep your audience occupied, stand out your event and concerts from others, and make them memorable.

Some Tips for Creating Moving Graphics Like a Pro

You have got some ideas about where to use motion graphics, right? Now, I will share some tips and tricks on how to make graphic motion creatively and stand out.   

1. Research the Topic. Believe it or not, creativity comes with research. The more motion designs you see, the better ideas will pop up. You can understand others’ design-making processes, themes, and messages, and make motion graphics animation in your style. Thus, research, take notes anytime new ideas pop up, and implement them in your motion graphics videos. 
2. Focus on Expressiveness. Creative motion design matters but what’s more important is interactiveness and expressiveness. Thus, while thinking about making a motion graphics piece, think about the message behind it. The more powerful the message gets to the audience, the better results you will get.
3. Add visual effects in the background. Adding visual effects helps keep your audience’s attention to the story, feel it, and enjoy it to the fullest. Thus, use visual effects to show your specialty and create motion graphics animation. However, if you think a design is beautiful without visual effects, keep it simple.   
4. Transitions Need to Be Perfect. All the actions and movements need to be in sync or the motion animation will look like a disaster. The texts, animation, sound, speed, and visual effects all need to be in sync, creating the perfect motion graphics that every audience enjoys.
5. Do motion graphics video editing to enhance the quality of the motion video. Refrain from overthinking and make the motion graphics video first. Take rest, sit calmly, and do graphic design and video editing on the motion. With a clear mind, remove every flaw, cut unnecessary elements, add new things if needed, check the transition flow, and save it when you think the animation looks how you want.

Final Words

What is motion graphics? It is a creative process through which you bring a design to life. Honestly, it is hard to be a motion graphic designer, however, the final motion design is very satisfying and worth the hours of hard work. 

My only advice is to stay patient with making motion graphics animation. The more you research, work on projects, and gain experience, the easier it will be to deal with tools, new ideas, and projects. Find your own style so that people can recognize your motion videos at first glance. That’s it for today. All the best for making motion graphics design and growing as a successful motion designer. Adios!