This month we’re excited to launch a new video insight piece where we’ll be speaking to industry leaders for opinions on motion and animation in the wider space of branding and advertising. 

Our first in this series kicks off with none other than Brian Collins, Co-Founder and CCO of design transformation agency, COLLINS.

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Favourite Projects

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Dojo - Rebrand by DesignStudio
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April brought us a fresh brand identity update to the payment provider, Dojo, created by the team over at DesignStudio. 

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Their work focused on defining “a brand idea that unites payments and bookings”, creating a “visual identity built with anticipation and momentum”, and building “a tone of voice full of passion and flavour”. 

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We loved this project because motion plays a subtle yet crucial role in bringing the concepts to life, particularly when looking at the new tone of voice. 

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The playful emphasis of the ‘o’ stretching out and repeating helps to add a whimsical playfulness to the brand, which, combined with the bright colour palette, crafts a relatable and friendly identity.

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Interestingly, it comes at a time when the company looks to “focus on larger enterprise businesses,” as well as B2C. In a world where B2B comms are often slated for being ‘boring’ and lacking personality, the Dojo rebrand is certainly refreshing to see. 

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DesignStudio also developed a bespoke typeface for the company called Dojo Sans - tying in well with our discussion featured with Brian Collins around stretching and warping a font whilst maintaining readability. 

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Sans Serif fonts are the perfect medium to achieve this, creating a typeface that’s “strong and defined, yet open and approachable”. 

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Similar to our previous write up on Eventbrites rebrand, Dojo also implemented motion through a range of illustrative assets, showcasing all the fun activities and items purchased through their platform.

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Rebranding a business that operates in both the B2C and B2B space can be a tricky balancing act. The work DesignStudio has achieved here is a great example of getting it right.

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DAYY - Rebrand by Hyperfocus

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Last month, the very talented team over at Hamburg based branding agency, Hyperfocus, launched their latest project for DAYY. We spoke with their Co-Founder and Brand Design Lead, Jan Stein, to hear more about the project.
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Jan explained that the team developed their creative direction from “the Japanese concept of Shibui (渋い)—a subtle, simple aesthetic that balances elegance and restraint.” This aesthetic led to motion becoming an integral part in “unfolding the narrative and expressing the brand’s essence.”

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The identity uses a “gradient concept”, one “which symbolizes the transition from day to night” used to represent the transition and change into this new chapter. Alongside the gradient visuals, the team paired with an illustrated pictogram system which Jan explains outlines DAYY’s services. 

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Jan adds, “Subtle micro-animations bring these elements to life with elegance and intention, adding rhythm and depth to the visual identity.”

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He states that the motion design in this rebrand all ties back to their idea of “Let’s Rethink Tomorrow.” With a focus on creating movement “that is fluid, calm, and reflective of transformation.” It evokes the sensation of serenity, whilst simultaneously hinting toward a new journey, which Stein states “mirrors the company’s forward-looking ethos.”

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Making the familiar, unfamiliar.
A conversation with Brian Collins
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In 2023, I somehow found myself sitting in a botanical garden having dinner with Brian Collins.

The evening took us on a long conversation filled with insights and advice, paired with an equal measure of profanity and laughter. It was a year later that I met with the Collins team again at Paradigms in Rome.

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Here, I started to build more of a rapport with the team, and endeavoured to help them organise a special private event a few months later in Lisbon for WebSummit. 

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Safe to say, the event went great, and Brian kindly agreed to be the first guest on our new video series for Months in Motion. 

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During our conversation, Brian talks on the importance of motion design in branding and how it is becoming ubiquitous with brand behaviour. Naturally, Brian offers amazing insights into how motion design can be elevated through becoming a master of understanding rhythm, timing, and playing with people’s expectations.

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We also discuss Collins work for Disney Freeform and San Francisco Symphony and how their team utilised typographic motion to push boundaries. 

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As it’s 2025, we couldn’t ignore the topic of AI. Brian states the need for designers to become familiar with it, as it’s here to stay and will enable some incredible work to emerge

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You can check out the full conversation on Spotify or the YouTube link below.

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Studio Updates

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We’ve had another busy month working on some exciting projects. Our first video from our ongoing collaboration with Collab Coffee for Milly Bobby Brown’s new Florence iced coffee went live, which you can check out below.

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We’re also really excited to be working with the team at Fight or Flight on a very cool rebrand launch film. More to come on this in next month's article once it’s released!
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We are heading to D&AD and SXSW London in the next few weeks, if you’re going, drop us a line! 
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We recently had some new merch made recently, so you’ll undoubtedly spot us repping this at the fest. 

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