Motion graphics
Also called motion design, animated graphics
What are motion graphics?
Motion graphics are animated graphic design: text, shapes, icons, charts, logos and illustrations that move on screen. Unlike character animation, they usually do not tell a story through characters. They explain information, show data, label things or give a video a branded look, from animated logo openers to explainer diagrams and on-screen titles.
Typical motion graphics include animated titles, lower thirds, logo reveals, infographics, icon animations, progress bars, call-to-action end cards and kinetic typography. They are made in tools like After Effects, Motion, browser-based editors, or code-based renderers that build video from HTML and CSS.
Motion graphics sit between graphic design and animation. They follow the same rules as a good static layout (hierarchy, contrast, spacing, brand colors and fonts) with timing and easing added on top.
Why motion graphics matter
Motion graphics explain things that are hard to film: a process, a number, a software concept. That makes them central to explainer videos and product marketing.
They also carry brand identity into video. Consistent animated titles, colors and fonts make every video recognizable as yours, which supports brand consistency across a channel.
How to use motion graphics in marketing videos
- Start from your brand kit: fonts, colors, logo and a few graphic shapes.
- Use motion to explain, not decorate: animate the one number, step or label that matters.
- Keep text on screen long enough to read, roughly the time it takes to read it twice.
- Use the same easing and timing across videos so the style feels consistent.
- Save reusable templates for titles, lower thirds and end cards.
Motion graphics FAQ
What is the difference between motion graphics and animation?
Animation is the broad craft of making things move, often with characters and stories. Motion graphics is a branch of it focused on animated graphic design: text, shapes, data and logos.
Do I need After Effects for motion graphics?
Not necessarily. Many video editors, online design tools and template-based generators include animated text and graphics. Dedicated software gives more control for custom work.
Related terms
Kinetic typography is animated text that moves, scales or appears in time with speech or music to express meaning and keep attention.
A lower third is a graphic in the lower part of the video frame that shows a name, title, location or short message without covering the main action.
An explainer video is a short video that explains what a product, service or idea is, the problem it solves and how it works.
A brand kit is a compact set of a brand's core assets: logo files, colors, fonts and voice notes, ready for anyone making content.
A transition is the way a video moves from one shot or scene to the next, such as a cut, fade, dissolve, wipe, zoom or match cut.