Motion Design Board Game
Artist and Author Leah Kopke
Editor Ezra Blocker
Play the Right Card
There are powerful cards in your hand that you can use in the game of business. It is easy to feel lost in the noise, but I’d like to bring the focus back to motion designers: the work you do and how you do it. You already possess these cards for success. The challenge is remembering to play them. Let’s first talk about the board and how these cards fit a strategy.
Noise in the Modern Era’s Board Game
There is more noise than ever with the development of technology over the last 50 years. It is easier to create content rapidly with today’s tools and technology. Industrialization prizes efficiency, output, and speed. Thinking takes time and money. Thoughtfulness is an investment in quality and long-term success, rather than instant gratification and facade. Speed is celebrated, at the expense of thoughtfulness. These oversights provide an opportunity for motion designers because we are trained to contemplate the details about every decision. Design thinking and marketing is a process of the mind exploring various avenues before choosing the best direction. It is a moment to consider rather than move by impulse. Motion design work stands out memorably from visual noise because it is considerate.
With social media becoming more saturated, especially with the ease of AI people yearn for authentic human connection post pandemic. Instead they are hit with a barrage of images, videos, posts created by AI instead of with human thoughtfulness. It can feel like a new kind of isolation even as we can go about our lives. It is more challenging to discern what is real because of a lack of regulations in the United States. Human-made art can serve as a mirror for our experiences in a way AI generated art can’t. It can help us feel seen. This being said, marketing falls flat when people question its authenticity. While it is more challenging than ever for advertising to feel authentic, it is an important card in your hand to build credibility which is how motion designers can shine.
Authenticity is Credibility
Since it is more challenging to determine what is real in this new age of technology, people analyze content through a new lens. They aren’t just consuming. They are questioning. Deep fakes, generated video and AI voices, cause reality to feel unclear which is unsettling to many. Human imperfections and quarks bring about their own charm to be celebrated and build credibility. People are looking for authenticity in advertisements and content they see with a critical eye. There are a few ways you can build authenticity as a motion designer.
Think of your portfolio as a story of process. Now that images and videos can be generated with AI, showing you have the foundational skills to work on a project from scratch can be comforting to those hiring. When a client needs something specific in an animation they will sometimes turn to a person who can write a prompt that creates the final deliverables. This is not saying that responsible use of AI can’t be a supporting tool, however, it is not a replacement for foundational skills such as sketching, 3D modeling, or working in After Effects, to be able to bring a client’s ideas to life. An example of an ethical use for AI in a supporting role would be that I use it to create captions for my videos in Premiere Pro, but not for high level design thinking. For new products and ideas AI doesn’t have enough data to create a visual representation effectively because AI can only be trained on what currently exists; not what could exist in the future. Your ability to listen and visualize something that is not yet in existence is vital when it comes to serving your clients. Showing your process in your portfolio and on social media helps you build authenticity and credibility that you can do the job.
Another way to build credibility is to go to in-person networking events. As a fellow introvert, I understand wanting to be at home with what is familiar. Sometimes the best way to build credibility is face to face with potential clients and employers. Networking is not only for freelancers, but for those who wish to be employed full time by a company. Many networking events allow people to come and go as they please.
If you are nervous to go to one to introduce yourself, just go for a short time. If going for a shorter time makes it easier to go outside your comfort zone, that’s a good place to start. People are really friendly at networking events in my experience. The more you go, the less nervous you’ll be. An organizer of a local networking event mentioned to me that the best way to get business is to be consistent about going and to focus on getting to know people rather than giving an elevator speech first thing out of the gate. He mentioned, “As you start to feel familiar to people, they’ll trust you and you’ll get business.”
People are More Than Numbers
Business lingo reduces people to consumers. Your words matter. Consumers are more than that term has to offer. They are people with stories, ambitions, values, struggles, achievements, and families. The best content talks to people with respect and sees them as more than a number in the analytics.
The best salesperson listens to what someone cares about and then provides a solution. The salesperson who talks before listening will have an uphill battle trying to convince someone they can improve their life with a product when they don’t know that customer’s concerns and values. At worst, they’ll insult a customer with assumptions. It reminds me of a Midcentury Modern advertisement we were shown in a history class. ”Christmas Morning She’ll be Happier with a Hoover” was written with an illustration of a happy housewife receiving a vacuum from her husband for Christmas. In class, it was used as an example to listen to your customer and what could go wrong in advertising when you don’t. I’m doubtful they conducted any research to find out what women value or what phrasing would connect with their audience. It is important to listen and not assume.
As motion designers, our job is not to just produce an animation, but to really listen to our customer with empathy. I still remember the day my client told me they wanted to hire me because I was local and easier to talk with. They let me know they would rather pay more to have someone who can “really listen.”
I’ve had a number of people ask me if I’ll still have a job in the future with AI. I know I will because listening with empathy is a card in my hand that AI lacks in this game of business and other motion designers can use it too.
Play the Strategy
The game of business is complex with many moving parts. We have more information than ever. Our clients and our client’s customers do too. The way to stand out from the content saturated market of today’s technology is to be thoughtful and listen with empathy, even in the pressures of a fast-paced world. Remembering that these are qualities unique to people that machines can’t replicate can be comforting during a time when there is so much discussion about whether AI will take away jobs. It can be challenging to remember you have good cards in your hand at a noisy table with confident competition. I really care about this community and believe in it. I’m happy to remind you, you have the right cards you can use in your strategy. Thank you for taking the time to read this. This was proudly written, read aloud, and edited by humans.
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