You’ve seen their work everywhere. Those sleek animated logos that pop up before the videos play. The eye-catching graphics that make you stop scrolling through Instagram. The explainer videos that somehow make complicated ideas click in your brain.
But what does a motion graphic designer actually do all day? Most people think it’s just “making things move on screen.” That’s like saying a chef just “heats up food.” The reality involves more problem-solving, creative thinking, and technical skills than you might expect.
Let’s pull back the curtain.
The Real Job Starts Before Any Animation Happens
Here’s something that surprises most people. A motion graphic designer spends a big chunk of time not animating at all.
They start by asking questions. What’s the message? Who’s the audience? Where will this play? A 15-second Instagram loop needs a different approach than a 2-minute explainer video for a corporate website.
Then comes the concept phase. Designers sketch out ideas, often on paper first. They’re figuring out visual metaphors, color schemes, and how to translate abstract concepts into images that actually make sense.
Think about explaining “cloud storage” visually. Do you show actual clouds? A filing cabinet? Floating data? Each choice changes how people understand the message. That’s the kind of decision a motion graphic designer makes dozens of times per project.
Storyboarding Maps The Journey
Once the concept gets approved, designers create storyboards. These are rough sketches showing key moments in the animation, kind of like a comic strip version of the final piece.
Storyboarding serves two purposes. First, it helps clients visualize what they’re getting before the designer invests hours in actual animation work. Second, it forces the designer to think through pacing and timing.
Where should the viewer’s eye go first? When should text appear? How long should each scene last? These decisions happen in the storyboard phase, not during animation. Getting them right here saves massive amounts of time later.
Some designers skip this step and jump straight into animating. They almost always regret it.
Design Work Builds The Visual Foundation
After storyboarding comes the design phase, where motion graphic designers create the actual visual elements they’ll animate later.
They might work in Photoshop, Illustrator, or directly in their animation software. They’re choosing fonts, building graphics, selecting colors, and creating a visual style that matches the brand and message.
This phase requires a solid understanding of graphic design principles. Balance, contrast, hierarchy, color theory. All those fundamentals still apply, even though the final piece will move.
A motion graphic designer who skips design fundamentals creates animations that look busy but don’t communicate clearly. The movement becomes a distraction instead of an enhancement.
Animation Brings Everything To Life
Now we get to the part most people associate with the job. The actual animating.
Motion graphic designers typically work in software like After Effects, Cinema 4D, or Blender. They take those static design elements and make them move, transform, and interact with each other.
But it’s not just about making things move. It’s about making them move with purpose and personality.
A logo can slide in, bounce in, fade in, or explode in. Each option creates a different feeling. The designer chooses based on the brand’s personality and the project’s goals. A law firm probably doesn’t want its logo to do a playful bounce.
Timing matters too. Animations that move too fast feel rushed and hard to follow. Too slow and viewers get bored. Finding that sweet spot requires experience and a good sense of rhythm.
Many designers also work with kinetic typography, which means animating text in ways that reinforce the message. Words can grow, shrink, shake, or split apart. Done well, it adds emotion and emphasis. Done poorly, it just looks like text having a seizure.
Sound Design Completes The Experience
Here’s something people often forget. Motion graphics don’t exist in silence. Sound design plays a huge role in how animations feel.
Some motion graphic designers handle sound themselves. Others collaborate with sound designers or composers. Either way, they need to think about how audio and visual elements work together.
That satisfying “whoosh” when a graphic flies across the screen? That subtle click when text locks into place? Those sounds aren’t accidents. Someone carefully selected or created them to enhance the visual experience.
Music choice matters too. The same animation can feel inspiring, urgent, or playful depending on the soundtrack.
Revisions Test Patience And Skill
After delivering the first version, motion graphic designers enter the revision phase. Clients almost always request changes. Sometimes they’re small tweaks. Sometimes they want to rethink the entire approach.
This is where communication skills become critical. Designers need to understand vague feedback like “make it pop more” or “it doesn’t feel right.” Then they need to translate that into specific visual changes.
The best designers ask clarifying questions instead of guessing. Does “more energy” mean faster movement, brighter colors, or more elements on screen? Getting clear answers up front prevents endless revision rounds.
Technical Problem-Solving Fills The Gaps
Beyond the creative work, motion graphic designers spend time solving technical problems. File formats, compression settings, aspect ratios, and export specifications might sound boring, but getting them wrong means the final piece doesn’t work where it needs to.
A designer might create something beautiful that looks perfect on their computer screen, but turns into a pixelated mess when uploaded to social media. Understanding technical requirements prevents these failures.
They also need to work within constraints. Limited file size. Specific dimensions. Brand color restrictions. Motion design often means finding creative solutions within tight boundaries.
The Job Keeps Evolving
Motion graphic design isn’t a static field. New tools, techniques, and platforms emerge constantly. Designers who don’t keep learning get left behind.
A few years ago, most motion graphics lived on websites and in commercials. Now they’re crucial for social media, mobile apps, digital signage, and even augmented reality experiences. Each platform brings new challenges and opportunities.
The designers who thrive are the ones who stay curious. They experiment with new software, study other people’s work, and push themselves to try unfamiliar techniques.
Why It Matters For Your Brand
Understanding what motion graphic designers actually do helps you work with them better. You’ll know why they ask so many questions at the start. You’ll understand why good work takes time. You’ll appreciate the thought process behind every creative decision.
Motion graphics aren’t just decoration. When done right, they clarify messages, grab attention, and help people remember what you’re saying. That’s why brands keep investing in this kind of content.
The next time you see an animation that makes you stop and watch it, remember there’s a skilled professional behind it who made dozens of decisions to create that experience. They’re solving problems, not just pushing buttons.
