If a picture says a thousand words, then animation shouts ten thousand

Here, our creative designer Rick Butler looks at how digital marketing, prototyping, animation and video all have the potential for tremendous impact on the brands we work with offering yet another service to increase sales and brand awareness.

Animation and motion graphics

The design industry and software technology have evolved significantly over the years and the way we use and apply motion graphics isn’t just limited to adding motion to pictures. With animated Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) icons, HTML banners and full-blown video productions, today’s motion graphics can be used for a large variety of multimedia assignments and are an indispensable promotion tool.

If you need to explain how your product works, how customers can benefit from it or why they should try your service quickly and in an impactful way, then motion graphics could well be your new best friend. This method can tell a story in just a few seconds.

Humans are storytelling creatures by nature and our brains soak up a good one like a sponge. We’re drawn to original, clever and eye-catching videos and most importantly we remember them. And that’s an important human characteristic to consider in the fast-paced nature of the digital landscape which has resulted in the dramatic reduction of our attention spans.

When text just isn’t going to work and you need a snappier, attention-grabbing vehicle, several frames of animation or video can effortlessly communicate the equivalent of a lengthy paragraph of text.

Video software company, Wistia did some research into whether or not videos are driving conversations and found that people spend 2.6 times longer on webpages that have videos than ones that don’t. This is without a doubt a great positive for SEO. And, according to Forbes, video is projected to claim more than 80 percent of all web traffic by the end of this year which is very telling.

When it comes to brand recognition, the visually engaging and stylised nature of animation and motion graphics is inherently engaging, which makes it easier for the audience to remember the brand and the message, generating additional buzz. In a nutshell, creating memorable stories now is far easier than it used to be.

And this carries over to the social environment. You may have noticed that videos tend to dominate social feeds. This is because organic Facebook engagement, to name just one platform, is highest with videos.

Animation and prototyping

Beyond its uses in digital marketing, animation plays a vital role in the design and development of digital products and this is something that we are applying to future website designs at an early stage.

Showing all those involved in the creative process a prototype in motion conveys ideas that would be difficult to see otherwise, especially with static visuals. It is not uncommon for anyone to have difficulty picturing motion-based designs solely on description and flat jpegs. Animated prototypes help shows a closer approximation of the end result.

Animated prototypes also help developers make informed decisions about how designs and user interfaces should be built and the challenges they may face during the development process. This can help avoid mistakes, confusion and align everyone on the same page.

Recent use of animation and video from OneAgency

Recent client work that has benefited from the production of animation and video include The Performance Theatre event for our client Xynteo, held in Seattle to an audience of global leaders and innovators.

The TPT Overture which combined a series of video clips and layered effects, edited with an overture that was composed by Jered Sorkin. jeredsorkin.com The music-sound-soundbite experience opens the theatre with the purpose of bridging the gap between the past and present theatres. It sets the scene, provides context and stimulates thought by highlighting the past 12 months of news and happenings, as well as providing historical context/contrast, plus other geopolitical, cultural and emotional reference points.

Arrange a .conversation today. If you’d like to learn more about increasing brand awareness and sales through digital marketing, prototyping, animation and video give us a call on 01603 252555 or fill in a contact form.