What are Motion Graphics?

Motion graphics are an essential part of our mission to bring your ideas to life. Because of that, we want to give you more insight into what motion graphics are, how they work, and what makes them different from animation. If you are not sure whether motion graphics is for you, read on to find out how to use them to engage with an audience and effectively boost traffic and engagement online.

Written by Jack Last

What are motion graphics?

Motion graphics are graphic designs brought to life through movement. In that sense, you can look at motion graphics as 2D animations that bring movement to written content. With text as a fundamental component, we use motion graphic design to convey a clear, animated idea to the viewer through bold colours and unique, eye-catching features. Motion graphics broadcast a message to our clients' audiences using great concepts and designs to hook viewers into watching until the end. For these reasons, many companies now use motion graphics to create product videos, explainer videos and tutorials, produce advertisements, and other features on their websites and social media.

You will find text at the core of any motion graphics piece we craft. We skilfully use colour, sound, and dynamic images to bring statistical data to life amongst other pieces of information, such as updates, informative campaigns, and other stand-out marketing projects. Our motion graphic designers use auditory aids alongside visuals to enhance viewer engagement with the content. Sound plays an essential part in motion graphics; we use music and voiceovers alongside colourful illustrations and animations to fully engage our clients’ audiences. Our expert motion graphic designers will fuse all these elements with text to create a memorable piece of motion graphic design for any campaign.



What is the difference between motion graphics and animation?

The main difference between motion graphics and animation is that the first conveys a message, while the latter tells a story. When companies use animation, they do so to use the power of storytelling and effectively connect their audience to the narrative. Motion graphics, on the other hand, are the tool of choice for companies that want to illustrate a point rather than a story. At OK Social, we use motion graphics to show our clients’ vision through polished and appealing content that successfully increases engagement and drives traffic. We use motion graphics when there is no need for storytelling so the audience can understand the content's message, which is often factually driven.

Animation is a broader category of content creation. Motion graphics do fall under this umbrella term because animation is a technique that makes static images and objects move. With text at the core of our content, we create movement and dynamic campaigns through motion graphics. Animation does not typically convey information through text; it is an art form focused on narrative crafting and storytelling. What distinguishes motion graphics from animation is the kind of content we create as motion graphic designers. We outline facts, emphasise points, and illustrate ideas through colourful, engaging content to communicate with our clients' audiences.  


When to consider motion graphics?

Motion graphics are effective tools that you can use to expand your company’s marketing strategies, so any business with an online presence can start considering motion graphics to boost traffic and engagement. At OK Social, we specialise in bold, vibrant, and playful motion graphic design that uplifts your brands’ digital presence. In today’s competitive market and fast-paced digital era, your company needs to be bold and memorable; our motion graphics team gives you that opportunity through snappy, captivating videos that directly engage with your audience.  

Our graphic design team has vast experience and a positive track record in creating impactful, unique, and engaging content. With our help, you can expand your marketing strategy too, and use motion graphic content for a range of marketing campaigns, including but not limited to:


Best uses of Motion Graphics

Motion graphics can be an imaginative and compelling medium for any company’s campaigns. We have rounded up a few of the best uses of motion graphics in content so you can see how words in action can convey powerful messages to their audiences. Motion graphics can be used to convey any story, subject, or style, so long as the motion graphic studio or designer behind it can dynamically put a company’s vision into practice, as you will see below:

  • Anatomy of a Computer Virus (directed by Patrick Clair and produced by Antibody) is an informative piece that breaks down the first entirely coded weapon in the world, Stuxnet.
  • Be more Digital  (directed and produced by OK Social) A series of explainer videos for Charity Digital.
  • 29 Ways to Stay Creative (directed and produced by TO-FU) is a website video that gives its audience advice on how to stay creative.
  • Squiryl, How Does It Work? (directed and produced by DHNN Creative Agency) is an explainer video that shows viewers how to use the app and simultaneously promotes the app’s function.

What these videos have in common is their use of motion graphics, where information is brought to life through movement regardless of the content’s subject or aim. The viewer is drawn in and learns something new, while the companies' brand images are boosted.


Our Examples of Motion Graphics

Here at OK Social, we create bespoke content that works similarly to the content outlined above. What makes us unique is our understanding of the brands we work with and our ongoing collaboration during projects. It helps us deliver brand-tailored content that engages viewers, boosts traffic, and improves a brand’s digital presence. You can check out our full list of projects here, but for now, let’s look at some of our favourites:

  • Brand Refresh for beer brand Vocation Brewery. Using motion design, 3D animation and kinetic typography, we conveyed Vocation Brewery’s rebrand to its customer base through a fun, captivating video. The results spoke volumes, as the video captured the depth of the rebrand, from the animated beer cans to the posters, social content, and so on.
  • We are offices for London based office company Making Moves. The animation explainer video we created for Making Moves showcased the company’s key features and mission after its recent rebrand. Through this content, we showed prospective customers the essence of Making Moves so they can decide whether the company was a good fit for them.
  • Reinventing the classics for Indie Bay Snacks. We helped Indie Bay launch their new Dark and Milk Chocolate bites on their social media by creating animated social media posts that stand out, which got promoted on Instagram and Facebook feeds.

Take a look at the full project.

See more of this project.

Take a look at the full project.

Why work with OK Social to produce Motion Graphics?

OK Social is not just a motion graphics studio; we seize the opportunity to create bespoke, results-driven motion graphics for our clients and make sure their visions transpose onto our screens. Our bold and vibrant team of motion graphic designers uses its extensive experience to create the stylish, ground-breaking motion graphics our clients desire. When you work with us, you plunge into a world of quality, on-brand content making, specifically tailored for your company through the most personal collaboration. We ambitiously aimed to open a one-of-a-kind creative production studio and managed to do so by making sure the content you receive satisfies your brand's needs but also speaks volumes to your audience.

Today, we operate from our motion graphics studio in Kent to deliver 100% one of a kind, on-brand content that will uplift your brand’s digital presence and create an immersive experience for your clients. Please get in contact with us if you would like to discover how we can turn your vision into an on-screen reality.

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.