A lot of people are always struggling with the questions “how do I start” and “what should I do next” when it comes to a design process. In the following chapters we will go through an exemplary production pipeline that I figured out to be effective for motion graphics. Hopefully this workflow will help you to eliminate time wasting when pondering over your next steps.
Roughly speaking I would always suggest these basic principles: Work from background to foreground, from big and relevant elements to small and detailed elements and from static graphics to animated ones. The exception proves the rule! By working that way you will have much faster results that you can show your clients. Your clients will either approve your work and you can start working out the details or they will give you
Rough drawing of a starting pistol
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instructions to change things or even make you reconsider the whole design. In any case you will save a lot of time while being able to present the look and style of your work in an early stage. But keep in mind that these steps depend on each other and that it is sometimes necessary to make adjustments to a previous step.
The whole design process can be split up in the great three “p”-words: Preparation, Production and Post-Production. And now prepare for the most important steps of creating exceptional motion graphics. Damn, that tomato juice has given me so much energy, I think I’m going to write during the whole flight.
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3. Preparation
3.1 Concept
Already found answers to the four “W”-questions? Great! You will need them for developing the concept of your motion graphic design. A lot of people begin with the actual design process far too early. This is not what I would recommend you to do. It actually is crucial to have something you can always return to while constructing your graphics. Good preparation and a detailed plan keeps your head clear and allows you to effectively keep track of your next steps. Furthermore, for most jobs it is even mandatory to create an excellent concept. Its quality might actually
decide about whether or not your client will give you the job. It’s good to learn how to present a design you did not even start to work on!
Research
The first thing you will need to do is conduct some in-depth research about the subject you are working on. What is it about? What kind of people are involved? For your research, use every tool you have and expend as much effort as you need to understand who exactly has hired you and why. When working with a professional client, the message will be predefined in great detail. Then you “only” have to worry about how to transform that message into a motion graphic design. But if you are also commissioned to find the message yourself (which happens from time to time), then you have to consult your inner storyteller. Find out what fits best to your client and your client’s clients. In any case I would recommend you to do some research about your specific message and
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how it has been used in other types of media in the past. Get inspired by some good movies (from which you know have that message in their theme), or pictures and try to collect some reference material that fits to your message and style. We will need this in the next step. In the end you should be ready to write down a short summary about your research work and your first outcome for the motion graphic design. This summary will be the first tool to help you present your concept to your client.
Idea
This is where the creative struggle often begins, but there’s no way around the requirements here. You need to have an idea, and it needs to involve the overall style and look of your motion graphic. This is not an easy task. How do I begin? What shall I do first? Those are the questions that artists are most afraid of while sitting in front of an empty piece of paper,
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for the last problem is still the easiest task. A lot of authors struggle with writer’s blocks, especially in the beginning of their creative process. This can also happen to graphic designers. If you don’t have the slightest idea of how to begin, you need to find some inspiration. In the best case you have already done this before working on your project. A good artist is always open to new things. Visit museums, look at architecture, read books, listen to different music genres, go to the cinema, the zoo, a theater, etc. There are millions of places where you can recharge your mind with new inspiration. The strategy behind this is of course NOT to copy someone else’s art (we have already talked about that misdeed), but to find connections between several ideas you like and think might fit to your current project.
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Mood board
Mood boards are the first manifestation of your creative ideas in a visual way. They are a collection of elements that help you keep track of your thoughts. Mood boards will become useful for at least two reasons. First of all, they function as an instrument to visualize your ideas to your clients and your co-workers (if you have some). Secondly, they can serve as a record of your initial creative decisions. Mood boards represent the beginning and summarize your inspirations. If you ever come to a dead end, it often helps to go back to the beginning and become re-inspired by it.
There are different ways to create mood boards. Find the one that suits you the most and fits your job. A lot of people like to create huge cardboard panels and pin their ideas onto them. This has the advantage that you get something you can actually touch and look at in real life.
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will also be something you can touch. I prefer a digital mood board because I personally like to use video files and audio within my mood boards. Feel free to use every software you like.
Presentation
Now with all your research work done and a final written summary of your plans and ideas, as well as a detailed mood board in your hands, you should be ready to present your concept to other people. Whether or not this is crucial for continuing your work (perhaps you already have the design job and do not have to persuade a client to get it) this step is a unique opportunity to observe other people’s reactions to your ideas.
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