A guide to working in motion design

Motion design is the practice of making graphic design move. You probably see it every day via brands, apps, websites and streaming services – though you might not know it by name. This guide is here to break down the industry, from the fundamentals of the discipline to the tools you need to master, expected salaries and more. With insights from our 'What Is… Motion Design?' industry panelists, held in partnership with Buck in New York, here's everything you need to know to get started.

What is motion design?

In Brief

In simple terms, a motion designer takes a graphic design and makes it move – usually to communicate a message or to tell a story. If it’s a more complex motion design, storyboarding, animatics (an animated version of a storyboard), 3D editing and sound enter the room.

Motion designs are often used to enhance brand identity and communications across multiple platforms, coming into play across branding, advertising and marketing. Think moving logos and visual identities, dynamic social media posts and engaging website UX design. Other uses of motion design might include film and TV titles, news broadcasting, and educational and explainer videos.

Motion design has come a long way from its origins, which can be traced back to 19th-century flipbooks. With rapid technological advancements over the last 100 years, motion design has evolved into what it is today.

How is motion design different from animation?

While traditional animation usually focuses on storytelling and character movement, motion design typically enhances graphic elements in a shorter format. “In traditional animation like character animation, it's pose to pose, but for motion designers, it's frame to frame,” says Roger Young Jr., a Manhattan-based motion director at Huge Inc. with 17 years of experience in motion design.

Is motion design right for you?

Do you enjoy bringing things to life visually? Are you constantly playing with and learning new software? Are you drawn to design and visual communications more broadly? As a motion designer, you’ll need to move between conceptual and detailed work, bringing together creative and technical capabilities. If you’re wondering if you have what it takes to become a motion designer, these are some of the skills that are important.

What motion designers enjoy

What can be difficult

How do you get into motion design?

Design fundamentals

Motion designers are often trained in traditional graphic design; then, from there, they learn to integrate motion into their designs through 2D and 3D animation.

While the technical side is important, motion design is fundamentally a design role. The better your design foundations are, the better a motion designer you’ll be. “Continue to refine your design skills and refine your taste [...] Taste and style are maybe the most important things,” says Roger. “Everything else is YouTube university to a certain degree and help from your other colleagues, your seniors or your homies.”

Before you get onto the animation part, you need to be secure with how it looks static: “If it don't look good not moving, it ain't gonna look good moving,” stresses Roger. So getting to grips with graphic design and illustration is your starting point. As with all design, “Intentionality is very important in motion,” says Charmie Shah, a New York-based creative director and motion designer.

Technical skills

When it comes to learning the technical skills, “It can be really intimidating,” notes Charmie. “I’ve learned that it's actually not about how difficult the software is or learning motion language is, it's about just going in with the belief system that I will and I can learn – that it's possible for me.”

When it comes to the tools you will need to get up to speed with as a motion designer, the most important ones are:

While there are plenty of free online tools to get started with, if you want to level up your skills, you might consider a course with School of Motion, Motion Design School or Skill Share. A university degree in a design subject is also a great route to take.

Building a portfolio

Building a solid portfolio is one of the most important routes to securing motion design work. If you don’t have any professional work yet, put together a showcase of your personal projects or university/course work. “The work should be showcased in a systematic and clear way that is attractive for someone to even spend just 5 seconds looking at it,” says Charmie. “Most people judge portfolios within 3 to 5 seconds.”

Making connections

Then, start reaching out to design studios or motion designers you admire. “Don’t just ask someone for a job – be sly and find a way to build a relationship first,” says Roger. “When you reach out to someone, try to look for something that inspires you about their work and ask them a thoughtful question about it,” adds Joe Donaldson, senior staff design manager at Google. Networking is all about the long game.

Where do motion designers work?

There are many places you could work as a motion designer: from advertising agencies to design studios, film production houses, gaming companies, tech firms and in-house creative teams.

In-house, agency or freelance?

A studio or an agency is typically more collaborative and fast-paced, with varied briefs and the opportunity to work for multiple clients, and potentially across different sectors.

In-house motion designers work within a single organisation. You might be designing animated logos, promotional videos, explainer videos or animating UI elements for apps and websites. These roles often offer more predictable hours, benefits and long-term ownership.

Freelancers enjoy maximum autonomy and often more creative freedom, but they also shoulder the full weight of running a business – from pitching and contracts to admin, invoicing and self-promotion alongside the work itself.

The future of the industry

Virtual reality, augmented reality and AI are all changing motion design.

Integrating AR and VR into motion design involves thinking in 360 degrees. Designers create real-time animations that respond to user interactions – this might be for immersive brand experiences, gaming and entertainment, or training and simulation environments. Tools like Unity and Unreal Engine are key in powering this kind of motion design.

At the same time, AI is taking over some of the repetitive and labor-intensive tasks involved in motion design, such as asset generation, rotoscoping, animation smoothing and some aspects of keyframing – acting as a kind of creative assistant. Tools like Adobe Firefly and Midjourney are go-tos for generating concept art and assets, while Runway and Kaiber are used for generating and animating videos.

The goalposts are constantly moving, and familiarity with AI tools is increasingly flagged in job descriptions. It’s important to be aware of changes in the industry: sites like Motionographer and School of Motion can help you stay in the loop.

Let’s talk paychecks

According to the School of Motion, a realistic baseline for a competent full-time motion designer is $80,000-$110,000. They note that, ‘Once you factor in total compensation (bonuses, equity, overtime in VFX) you're easily looking at $120,000-$200,000+ for people in tech, entertainment, or senior-level roles.’

Fresh out of school, a bootcamp, or a self-taught path, the ballpark figure is $35,000-$63,000. For mid-level (3-5 years) motion designers, you can expect somewhere in the $70,000-$90,000 range. As a senior motion designer, it’s more like $100,000-$150,000.

Of course, these are just estimated figures. Your salary might differ vastly across different industries, with those working in tech outpacing other motion designers. And if you can master 3D, you’re more likely taking home more dollars.

Further resources

A curated list of resources for emerging and early-career designers exploring graphic design as a career path.

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