What is Motion Graphics | Types of Motion Graphics and Benefits

The COVID -19 pandemic has brought about drastic change across the globe. Its impact on global wellness and economy has changed the way companies function across sectors, and design is no exception. Companies have to evolve both in real-time and in the future.

Using brand storytelling, don't say what you do... show customers how to buy.

A list of trends has come up to adapt to these times and ensure the long-term life of companies. Within the field of design itself, there have been several trends. However, we shall mainly focus on the direction of motion graphics within Graphic Design.

The definition of a graphic designer keeps transforming. A graphic designer who was a pro in logo creation, font construction, poster designing, etc., now needs to learn motion graphics and user experience. It has become common for companies to look for candidates who are adept in either user experience or motion graphics.

We will give a brief run-through on motion graphics within this topic, followed by some of its benefits.

Motion Graphics

Also referred to as motion design, Motion Graphics refers to graphics with movement. Motion Graphics seeks to bring design knowledge to new mediums by adding the elements of time and space to it, mainly through dynamics or movement, to achieve a particular communication purpose.

The earliest form of motion graphics traces back to the 1940s, where animators Oskar Fischinger (1900 -1967) and Norman McLaren (1914-1987) introduced the earliest form of motion graphics through their experimental work. In the 1950s, renowned designers such as Saul Bass, Maurice Binder, and Pablo Ferro brought Motion Graphics into the public eye in a big way.

The development of technology and screens in multiple devices has expanded and diversified the usage of Motion Graphics. Within TV shows, motion graphics has taken the shape of openings as the video brand of the channel and forecast screen on the news and in their virtual backgrounds. Regarding websites and apps, motion graphics has been playing a crucial role in helping build better interface experiences through the niche area of UX Motion Design. Regarding advertising, especially social media, motion graphics contribute from story-driven ads to animated Instagram posts.

Although motion graphics consist of some animation elements within, there is a slight difference between animation and motion graphics. While motion graphics contribute to bringing to life static elements, their primary purpose is to achieve a particular commercial goal; on the other hand, the animation relates to artistic purposes like movies or short films with an element of meaningful storytelling. Animations generate emotions by bringing characters to life, whereas motion graphics present information efficiently and vividly. Another difference is that while animation mainly involves huge production investments, consisting of developing a script, designing and modeling characters, location planning, etc, motion graphics are comparatively less complex.

Types of Motion Graphics

While motion graphics can be categorized into many, the intended effect of most motion graphics can be put into three main groups – emotive, explainer, and promotions. It is essential to understand this before creating a motion graphic video.

Emotive

The primary goal of these videos is to bring about a powerful and emotional response from the viewer. Emotions could be a positive or negative experience based on the nature of the story. Regardless, a viewer should be driven by that emotion to take a specific action upon watching your video.

Explainer

The primary purpose of explainer videos is to simplify a concept by summarizing the essence into a clear picture. This approach primarily works when the story is highly detailed, technical, or involves many steps to complete or explain.

Promotional

The main goal of promotional videos is to drive conversions. This type of video or motion graphic is often more recognizable as a sales piece than the other categories. Any details that help motivate a viewer to a purchase decision should be positioned around in these videos.

Benefits of motion graphics

As explained before, the COVID -19 Pandemic has led to nationwide lockdown across countries, which has led to an increase in social media usage and devices, which has provided unexpected opportunities for digital marketers and advertisers. Most sectors turn to the digital medium to reach out to their target audience more quickly and efficiently.

Companies that used to create print ads are now slowly diversifying their communications via social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc. This leads to an increase in the number of social media posts. Companies are gradually seeking to bring movement to social media posts. Graphic designers must keep abreast of this new development and use this as an opportunity to pick up this skill.

One of the main benefits of motion design is that it improves brand recognition. It is known that viewers can comprehend complex visuals, text, and ideas when delivered in a simple, friendly, and engaging way.

A second benefit is that it is easily shareable across many social networks. This ability increases the message outreach leading to a better return on investment in the long term. According to Animoto's blog, 58% of consumers visit a brand's social media pages before visiting their website, and 60% of consumers who purchased a brand found out about them on social media.

The third reason is that it helps the company for which you work stand out amongst competitors by setting cool trends. People spend approximately 2.6x more time browsing pages with videos than those which are mere static. Besides, the power of a video over a statistic is its power to draw the viewer's attention for a longer time. It is also effective in driving purchases, as proven by statistics where 93% of brands got a new customer because of a social media video. Besides, 84% of people state that they were convinced into buying a product or service by watching a brand's video.

We wish to conclude by stating that learning motion graphics is an important and engaging area for designers and companies to explore. The bottom line is that not all motion design solutions are for every business. But if you want to keep your content fresh and exciting, increase user engagement, make it more fun and engaging for children who visit your site-motion graphics may be the perfect solution. If you need help figuring out which technique or style would work best with your product, please reach out!