Design Analysis & Reflection

Branding Animation for Kaylou Graphic Design

Welcome back to the final stage of my branding animation project!

I have finally come to the end of developing and animating my series of Kaylou logos!

Reflecting on my work, I am happy with what I have achieved as I have never attempted anything like this before. Prior to the project I only animated solid blocks, using a basic knowledge of Adobe After Effects. I can now say I have enhanced my skill and understanding of not only the capacity of After Effects but the capacity of motion design. I used primary, secondary, temporal motion and effects such as:

  • Wave
  • Taper
  • Masks
  • Roughened edges
  • Posterize time
  • Trim paths
  • Gaussian blur
  • Ripple
  • Motion blur
  • Easy ease
  • Transform (opacity, position, scale, rotation)
  • Layering
  • Colours
  • Paths
  • Time-stretch
  • Turbulent displace
  • Compositions

Using these techniques, I created 7 short animations each with their own unique design, aesthetic, motion, colour and tone, reflective of their stated brand (Krasner, 2013). I spent a lot of time on each one, which restrictive how many I could create sadly. However, I feel like have displayed a nice variety in the selection I developed. The array of motions and techniques come across in a smooth and engaging manner which was my biggest challenge to overcome. I also take pride in the fact that I was able to develop original logos and branding identities per animation. I have made the animations to fit phone dimensions so I can post these on social media accounts, particularly my Instagram story, which was a goal of mine.

Critical moment

I decided to focus on making a series of short animations, rather than that in conjunction with a longer video. I thought that making a longer video displaying each logo animation one at a time could get boring by the end of it, especially if the audience member doesn’t relate or enjoy that ‘brand’. For example, I myself would not pay much attention to the construction one, but the juice bar and beach club one I am all ears. If construction came first, I would probably not watch the rest. As this is intended for Instagram, I thought making a series of short animations that loop would be more engaging and relevant.

Looking back, I actually didn’t have any other critical moments. All of my animations were slow and somewhat tedious, but they all had a clear direction that I did not stray from. I worked at attaining the ideas in my head one frame at a time until the end. Of course, I changed some minor details, added colour and threw in some adjustments but nothing major that was critical to my final outcome. I did not scrap anything I made. I can proudly say every animation ended up looking like what I had imagined.

Here are some screenshots of the animations for reference:

Going forward, I aim to use my new skills and understanding of After Effects to enhance my ability to produce animation collateral for brands. I will aim to produce not only logo animations but a whole branding animation collateral that can be used to promote brands, products/services and their identity and mission. I want to help build engaging content in motion rather than simply producing static content. Motion design is a great way to engage audiences and attract attention in the marketing world. I am studying marketing and visual communication and plan to integrate the two through this technique and design style. I also want to try to make more complex animations with numerous elements that move at a faster pace. This will help develop my skill and create depth in my work. For many reasons, this project has been a great learning experience, very helpful and of benefit to my design career (Ambrose & Harris, 2009) (Ellmers, G. 2009).

By Kayla

References

Ambrose, G, & Harris, P 2009, Design Thinking, AVA Publishing, Crans-pres-Celigny, CHE. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.

Ellmers, Grant. Graphic Design Pedagogy – from a 2009 Conference. Note the levels of design reflection. http://experientialknowledge.org.uk/proceedings_speakers_files/Ellmers.pdf

Krasner, J (2013) Motion Graphic Design: Applied History and Aesthetics. Taylor & Francis Group, Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM.

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