What is Motion Graphics? Why Do You Need a Professional Design Agency for the Same?

In the last few years, video has emerged as the king of all content posted on the Internet. 

From long and informational videos to short and entertaining reels and TikToks, videos are everywhere!

Just look at how much global video viewership has increased since 2019. 

As of 2020, over 3.1 billion internet users consume video content, and this figure is expected to reach the 3.5 billion mark by 2023.

So, what does that mean for your business? How can you use videos to establish your brand, inform/educate your audience, or reach new users?

The trick lies in creating visually rich videos to present complex or boring information creatively to attract and retain viewers. 

That’s where motion graphics come into the picture. Here, we will discuss:

• What are motion graphics?
• How is motion graphics different from animation?
• What are the different uses of motion graphics?
• Why should you hire a professional design agency for creating motion graphics?

We have a lot to cover. Let’s get started!

What are Motion Graphics?

“Graphics in movement” – that is the simplest and most straightforward way of describing motion graphics.

Also known as motion design, motion graphics are essentially pieces of digital footage or animation that are used to create the illusion of rotation or motion. 

Text is a crucial component of motion graphics, which are typically combined with audio before being displayed through electronic media technology. 

Motion graphics is all about bringing creative designs to life by infusing the element of movement in them.

Motion graphics isn’t a new concept. In fact, it has existed for decades. Filmmakers Norman McLaren and Oskar Fischinger were the first to create motion graphics in the 1940s. 

By the 1950s, motion graphics had caught the attention of the public through the works of talented designers such as Pablo Ferro, Maurice Binder, and Saul Bass.

You may have seen motion graphics for the first time in the opening title sequence of Hitchcock’s Psycho.

How is Motion Graphics Different from Animation?

“But they look just like regular animation. What’s the difference?”

That’s a question you may have while looking at a few examples of contemporary motion graphics. This requires an explanation as the distinction isn’t always entirely black and white. 

Animation is an umbrella term that typically includes everything involving moving imagery. But motion graphics focus specifically on adding movement to graphic design elements. 

Unlike other types of animation, motion graphics does not involve a pre-defined way of animating things. For instance, in traditional animation (let’s picture Disney movies), artists use countless references from nature to animate animals and human figures. But when creating motion graphics, designers cannot rely on any “natural” references for how typography, shapes, and grids should move to make the graphics come alive. 

Because of this, motion graphics designers need to have an understanding of all kinds of acceleration, speeds, and movements. They need to put all these variables together to bring designs to life in a more “humanized” way so that viewers can easily connect to them.

Motion Graphics

Animation

What are The Different Uses of Motion Graphics?

There are lots of great uses for motion graphics in business. For instance, you can use it to introduce your brand or explain your products/services to your audience.

Motion graphics can add “flavor” to otherwise boring text content, and they can also act as core visual aids and help explain hard-to-understand ideas through creatively designed graphics.

Here are a few different types of content, for which you can use motion graphics:

Logos:

Want to see a great example of motion graphics being used to display a company’s logo? Here’s how the world’s most recognizable brand does it:

Google, YouTube and many other famous platforms have dabbled with motion graphics to animate their logos on special occasions.

Newer, less renowned companies can use motion graphics to add personality to not only their logo, but also their entire brand identity. 

Much like Google, you can use playful and creative logo motion graphics for special events or occasions to stand out from the crowd.

Short Films:

Although you can use regular animation to create short films, motion graphics is also an excellent alternative.

When creating short films with motion graphics, you can design a world that is completely imaginary. You can make visual representations of feelings, emotions, and various other intangible qualities. 

Here’s a video that perfectly shows what we mean.

Explainer Videos:

Motion graphics can help you break down and present complex information in a fun and simple manner.

A well-made explainer video animation that makes great use of motion graphics to simplify complex processes is easier to connect to. 

Your audience will not only understand what you are trying to say more easily, but they will also enjoy the creative presentation.

UI Animations:

You can use motion graphics to create UI animation prototypes. It can help you visualize how pages, screens, and visual elements of your app such as icons and buttons will look when users interact with them. 

UI or user interface is one of the most critical components of an app, and perfecting it is of utmost importance. Motion graphic designers create mock sketches or wireframes of a page or other elements and then animate them to display how they pop up or slide in and out.

Why Should You Hire a Professional Design Agency for Creating Motion Graphics?

The merits of motion graphics are compelling enough to make you want to incorporate it in your content marketing mix or web/app development. Although several DIY tools exist to help you create motion designs, you should hire reliable and competent professional graphic design services instead. 

The reason is simple. The design tools cannot match the creativity or “human touch” that professional designers offer. There are many other reasons for hiring professionals for the job. Here’s how motion graphics designers offer value:

They Can Help You Lay the Foundation for Your Branding Strategy:

Having a strong branding strategy is critical for any business that has several well-established competitors in the market. Since graphic design is an important aspect of brand identity, you cannot do without professionals. 

They Focus on Detail:

Professional motion designers keep branding and many other crucial elements in mind when creating designs. For instance, when dealing with typography, they will choose the colors, fonts, line spacing and kerning based on your brand’s identity. 

They would also curate and organize various design elements to improve the readability of the content across different platforms.

They Offer Great Value for Money:

While it is true that hiring professional design services will increase your overall marketing spending, you should also consider the value they offer. Hiring in-house designers is often far costlier than outsourcing the work to a design firm. 

Furthermore, they can help you complete a project on time, every time. With experts handling the design aspect of your project, you can focus on other aspects of your business. Therefore, they help you save both time and money. 

Wrapping Up

Motion graphics offer you an excellent way of communicating with your audience, and they add depth to your overall branding strategy. By combining motion graphics with an effective copy, you can send your message across more effectively.

So, if you want to elevate your marketing and branding game, make sure you hire competent graphic designers who are well-versed in motion design.