How is Motion Graphics Created?

Long, black and white news posts will no longer cut the mustard. In the modern world of marketing - where the digital marketplace has never been more crowded, and our consumers expect bright and bold content more than ever - we can’t rely on plain blocks of text to deliver important company messages.

Written by Jack Last

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Our audiences demand to be entertained, and that goes for animated explainer videos just as much as it does adverts.

Que motion graphics.

Motion graphics enable brands to communicate key messages to their audiences with clarity and succinctness, while still keeping viewers' attention successfully hooked. Find out what they do, how they’re made, and their wide range of use cases below.

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What are motion graphics?

Motion graphics combine graphic design with animation, to create videos that bring text to life.

These videos incorporate a wide range of visual elements, including typography, colours, movement, branded content and illustrations, coupled with sound and voice-overs. While text is the core component, these stylised additions bring the words to life.

Although they are a type of animated video, motion graphics are unique in the fact that they help companies illustrate a particular point in a more engaging and effective way.

The primary focus of animation is to tell a story. By using characters and charming illustrations, the viewer is taken through a narrative. In comparison, the USP of motion graphics is to make a point.

This point could be how to use a product, explain statistics or teach the audience something - either way, it’s all about delivering a key message from the company in the most succinct, clear and understandable way possible.

Thanks to the stylised, on-trend design of motion graphics, combined with their clear and accessible script, motion graphics are a highly effective way of boosting key metrics.

Not only will they communicate the message they were created for, but these videos are also a great way to tick off other online KPIs. Their high engagement level makes them ideally suited to improving your brand recognition, brand awareness and conversion rates.

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Why should brands use motion graphics?

Motion graphics are an invaluable addition to a marketing strategy. They enable brands to communicate important messages in a clear, short, enjoyable and on-brand way. Motion graphics maximise the chance of success for these messages, while keeping your audience engaged with your brand and what you’re doing.

Let’s delve deeper into the four key benefits of using motion graphics:

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1) Flexible storytelling tool

Motion graphics can be used to communicate a wide variety of different points. The messages that brands can convey through motion graphics include Explainer Videos, Corporate Videos, Social Video Posts and Product Videos (more detail about these use cases later).

An animation studio will work with you to create a bespoke motion graphic video, which achieves a best-fit solution for your specific message.

What’s more, variations in colours, typography, illustration styles, movement and voice overs will ensure the video strikes the perfect tone and style to accompany your message. Be it corporate or exciting, informative or captivating, your motion graphics video will be designed to hit all the right notes.

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2) Deliver complex messages easily

According to Invisia, viewers retain 95% of a message when it’s conveyed via video. When you compare this to the retention rate for reading alone, which is just 10%, it’s clear that video-based content is the best way to deliver an important point.

Motion graphics designers use visuals and sound in harmony, with one enhancing the other. This makes motion graphic videos highly accessible.

In addition to boosting clarity, motion graphics are also a great way to boost engagement.

In 2020, 90% of online video viewers said they wanted brands and businesses to share more videos. In fact, this year, online videos are set to make up over 82% of all consumer internet traffic. The potential that this rise brings for marketers is clear - already, 84% of people have been convinced to buy from a company after watching one of their videos.

As you can see, not only do online videos help your audience understand what you’re saying, but they’re also a sure-fire way to make them interested in what you’re saying.

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3) Are fully repurposeful

Once you’ve created your motion graphics video, you can adapt it for publication across all your digital channels.

This includes all your social media pages, your company website, online adverts and email campaigns.

It can also be included as part of internal presentations or training days, too.

Now more so than ever, digital platforms are made to incorporate video content. So, make the most out of these advancements, and get your new video out there!

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4) Can deliver key message in a short amount of time

Motion graphics’ dual usage of visuals and text enables you to keep the script short and clear.

Take our recent Onboarding animation for Capita as an example. Although it’s short, this onboarding explainer animation is a great way for Capita to support and guide its new staff.

Complicated topics can be articulated in less words, as the visuals are there to enhance your message. This means shorter videos, which translates to a higher likelihood of viewers watching through to the end, plus a reduced production cost. Win-win!

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What are the best uses for motion graphics?

Motion graphics can be used to create a huge variety of animated content. Thanks to the versatility of this medium, motion graphics can be used to enhance video content across your digital platform, and to cater to every avenue of your company’s operations.

With that in mind, the best uses for motion graphics include:
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â—Ź Explainer Videos - explainer videos do very much what they say on the tin: they explain a complicated topic. This can include how things work (such as your product or service), how to use or put together a product, or provide an insight into technical systems.

● Corporate Videos - motion graphics could also be used to enhance your company’s internal messages. These videos could support your businesses’ current onboarding, training or health and safety awareness processes, to name a few.

● Social Video Posts - videos are widely used across social media, and consistently rank as social media users’ favourite type of content. From a brand’s perspective, video posts can boost traffic, increase your outreach and attract new customers, while retaining the loyalty of existing ones. Plus, including video content on your socials creates the impression of a modern, trendy and successful business.

â—Ź Product Videos - motion graphics can also be used to showcase all the plus points of your product. These could be used to explain how they work, the benefits they bring, encourage viewers to check out your online shop, or to create a product-related announcement. Either way, a motion graphics video is far more impactful than a plain block of text.

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What is required to create your very own motion graphics video?

Much like any other video, creating a motion graphics video follows a series of steps, taking the team through the phases of pre-production, production, and post-production.

But, before you can dive into animating, you need to plan with care. The pre-production process needs to be tackled with precision, a clear focus and actionable targets for your video.

Let’s outline the requirements for a successful motion graphics video in more detail:

1. Produce a storyboard - firstly, you need to devise a strong storyboard. A storyboard is just a rough outline of the video, sketching your initial ideas for its sequence. The storyboard should provide an initial idea of what you want the video to look like, clearly specify what topic your video will cover, and show how you plan to use visuals to enhance that message.

2. Write a script for the story you want to tell - then, you can start writing a script. By doing this after you have created the storyboard, you can be sure that the visuals and sound work together harmoniously. Keep the script as clear as possible, ensuring anyone new to the topic will be able to understand. To test out your script draft, we recommend reading it out to someone who hasn’t heard it before, and isn’t familiar with the topic. See how well they follow what’s going on.

3. Start designing based on the storyboards - once you’ve got your script firmed up, you can turn your attention to the design. Create final versions of your designed elements, including a fixed colour palette, your choice of typography, illustrations, any characters, and so on.

4. Throw in animation to complete the motion graphic design project - now that all your elements are finished, you can bring them together through animation. Decide what movement arcs you want each element to make, and how the content will transition to each new frame.

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Why work with an animation agency like OK Social?

OK Social is a professional animation agency, with extensive experience working with businesses across the UK. These include giants like the BBC, Deliveroo and Ford, just to name a few.  

Our specialist experience spans a wide variety of animation styles, including motion graphics. As motion graphic designers we know precisely how to create engaging motion graphic videos, which deliver all the results that brands are looking for.

In addition to our ability to tailor videos depending on the client’s specific KPI, we also have an extensive knowledge of digital marketing trends. This means that we can devise a bespoke, branded video, which speaks to current styles and utilises the latest technologies.

Working with us, you can be certain that your new motion graphics video will be bold, captivating and a huge success.

To find out more about our specialist motion graphics services, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We’d love to talk about your new project.
You can reach us at hello@oksocial.co.uk

I’m Jack, the Motion Director here at OK Social. I’ve been working in the world of motion design and animation for nearly 10 years. I had the pleasure of working with leading agencies and brands around the world, such as Samsung, Ford, Shell, Deliveroo, and Starbucks, to name a few.

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in animation, from making stop-motion films in my room as a kid to learning animation on my first computer. It started as a passion and still is to this day. Part of what I do now is more than just animation. I help craft the narratives of the stories we tell to ensure they make an impact to the audience and remain worthy of their attention.

So how do I do that? It starts with asking the right questions, leading to solving the right problems. First, diagnose what the problem is. Then, we can start to see if we can help. I believe that communication plays a key role in delivering a smooth and successful project. Looking into the future, I’m excited to expand my knowledge into creating more engaging stories that make a difference.