If you’ve ever been intrigued by a nicely animated title sequence or a particularly captivating explainer video, then you’ve witnessed the power of motion graphics.
Motion graphics design is a specialized field that blends the power of graphic design with animation to create the visually stunning and dynamic content that stops the social media scroll, drives clicks, and demands attention.
And if you’re already considering bringing on a good motion graphics designer to your team, then we don’t blame you! That’s why we’re here to help you out with your hiring journey.
Today’s blog is exploring ten must-have skills a good motion graphic designer will have to help you find the right talent to boost your brand’s visual game!
What is Motion Graphics Design?
What we call motion design or motion graphics design is a digital art form that takes a combination of graphic design and animation know-how to create visual content that moves.
To create motion graphics, a designer uses software tools to animate visual elements like text, images, video clips, and more, often using 2D or 3D animation, visual effects, and other cinematic techniques. You usually see these motion graphics in media content like film, TV, ads, social media, and video games to do everything from convey a message, tell a story, or keep an audience engaged.
What’s the Difference Between Motion Graphics and Animation?
Sounds an awful lot like animation, doesn’t it?
While motion graphics do fall under the umbrella of animation, there are some differences. Motion graphics focuses specifically on graphic design elements like text, shapes, icons, and images, bringing them to life through movement. You see motion graphics for things like title sequences in movies, explainer videos, and logo animations.
In contrast, traditional animation usually involves creating a narrative with characters and scenes, with much more complex storytelling.
10 Skills a Motion Graphics Designer Must Have
That being said, creating motion graphics is an advanced skill that requires technical and artistic know-how to be able to pull off effectively.
So, if you’re convinced that you need a motion graphics designer to create dynamic content for your next campaign, then we support that decision 100%! Here is what you should look for in a new hire to make sure you’ve got the right motion graphics designer for the job!
1. Design Software Expertise
You can’t create motion graphics on just any kind of software.
A good motion graphics designer will be a pro at using industry-standard software like Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Adobe Illustrator to create high-quality animations and motion graphics.
And, since these software tools are constantly evolving, they’ll also know how to keep themselves updated with the latest features and design trends to keep your design up-to-date and looking sharp!
2. Principles of Animation
A good motion graphics designer will know what it takes to create a natural-looking and believable animation.
They’ll know how to use animation principles like timing, physics of movement, easing, and anticipation to create smooth and realistic motion. This deep understanding of animation will make sure that your content is dynamic, engaging, and captures your audience’s attention in the right way.
3. Problem-Solving Skills
Challenges are inevitable with any type of creative process. And in the world of motion graphics design, any type of challenge can arise!
But whether it’s a technical glitch, a tight deadline, or a creative roadblock, a good motion graphics designer works around the problem (even under pressure), quickly finds the issues, and comes up with innovative solutions to resolve them.
This problem-solving expertise makes sure that your projects stay on track, maintain high quality, and give you the best possible results for your marketing campaigns.
4. Technical Skills
Being a master of animation techniques is essential for any motion graphics designer who aims to produce high-quality work.
A skilled motion graphics designer will have the technical skills to do the following:
- Render with Precision — A motion graphics designer knows how to optimize rendering settings to balance quality and performance, and make sure that even the most complex animations are polished and visually impressive.
- Expertly Composite Elements — A motion graphics designer knows how to seamlessly layer elements like images, video, text, and effects to create cohesive and visually appealing scenes.
- Choose the Right File Formats — A motion graphics designer can select and manage file formats that are best suited for different platforms, to make sure that your final product is compatible, high-quality, and ready for distribution on whatever platform you prefer.
5. Attention to Detail
Motion graphics require meticulous attention to detail, everything from how elements are aligned to the timing of the animations.
A skilled motion graphics designer will review their work to catch and then correct even the tiniest of errors or inconsistencies to make sure that your motion graphics are consistent with your brand and flowing smoothly.
6. How to Tell a Story
Great motion graphics tell a story, no matter how short, and a good designer will know exactly how to structure a narrative that engages an audience.
They’ll know how to use visuals, timing, and pacing effectively to get your message across and evoke the emotions that your content is aiming to evoke.
7. Typography Skills
Knowing how to best animate text, including kinetic typography, is an essential skill for creating dynamic content.
A skilled motion graphics designer will know the right fonts to use; the fonts that line up with your brand and your messaging and let you best communicate with your audience.
They’ll also know how to choose and animate your text in a way that isn’t just visually appealing but is also easy to read and works well with any background colors or images.
8. Color Theory
Certain colors evoke certain emotions, and a good motion graphics designer understands that color is a powerful tool for conveying emotions and reinforcing messaging.
They’ll be experts in color theory and know what colors to choose to best convey your message and evoke the right emotions in your viewers.
They’ll also know exactly how to pair colors in a way that keeps your visuals aesthetically pleasing, maintain color harmony, and make your most important elements stand out, adding to the overall value of your content.
9. Communication
Designers often work closely with other creatives and project managers in addition to their clients, so knowing how to clearly and effectively communicate is an essential skill.
A skilled designer will be able to quickly understand and interpret client needs and feedback, as well as be able to explain their design decisions and concepts in a clear, articulate way.
These communication skills are exactly what you need for a good working relationship and successful projects.
10. Time Management
The ability to stay organized and manage time is crucial in any kind of creative project.
A skilled motion graphics designer will know how to prioritize tasks, stay productive, and create a workflow that allows them to handle multiple projects at once. Being great at time management will mean that your motion graphics content will always be in your hands when you need it and will maintain its quality no matter what!
The Benefits of Motion Graphics for Marketing
And once you’ve found the perfect motion graphics designer for your brand, you’ll be surprised at what they can bring to the table.
A good motion graphics designer can create the content that:
- Enhances Engagement — Motion graphics capture attention quickly and hold it longer than static images, which increases viewer engagement.
- Clears Up Communication — Your graphics can take complex ideas and explain them simply and effectively through visual storytelling and animated graphics.
- Makes an Impact — Animated visuals are more memorable, which helps to increase brand awareness and recall with your audience.
- Has Many Uses — Good motion graphics are ideal for a variety of different channels, like social media platforms, websites, email, and presentations.
- Shows Off Professional Appeal — High-quality motion graphics can enhance the perceived professionalism and credibility of your brand.
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Looking for a Motion Graphics Designer That Checks All the Boxes?
Eager to find that next new hire to start creating the kind of 3D graphics and design you’re looking for?
You could start posting jobs on sites like Indeed, Upwork, or Fiverr …
Or you could partner with Designity and get everything you could possibly need for dynamic motion graphics and a winning marketing campaign.
Designity is made up of the top 3% of all of the talented individuals who apply each year, meaning that our creative community is made up of the best of the best in motion graphics design, as well as graphic design, packaging design, social media marketing, copywriting, video production and more — all of the skills your marketing efforts will ever need.
Add in the guidance of an experienced Creative Director to manage your account, and you can have everything you need for a successful marketing campaign, without having to lose focus on your day job to keep up with it.
Why not check out our motion graphics and video service page and portfolio to see how Designity’s innovative Creative as a Service platform has been the answer for brands just like yours?
And if you like what you see, then take the next step and book your demo call. We’ll get you started right away with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test drive our 100+ services and see for yourself why Designity is the only one-stop creative marketing partner your brand will ever need.
