Experts predict that in the next few years, online video will make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic. With so much saturation and competition, motion graphics animation can help set your videos apart.
What is Motion Graphics?
At its core, motion graphics is the art of taking static graphic design and applying animation to it. Using a combination of text, shapes, and images to form a visually appealing experience. You’ll have seen these types of videos used everywhere, from ads, landing page videos, tutorials, and movie credit sequences.
Usually paired with music and copy, motion graphics animation helps to visually convey a message to your audience. Think of a graph with the bars slowly increasing to visually show a rise in profits.
The Difference Between Motion Graphics and Animation
There’s a lot of overlap between the two, and distinguishing the difference can be hard. Just look at our use of the term ‘motion graphics animation‘.
Animation is a broad term that covers many visual artforms, motion graphics included. The primary difference is that motion design focus on shapes and images, whereas animation is more story and character driven. Motion graphics would be a logo flying onto screen, whereas animation would be the logo personified as a character talking to the audience.
It’s a fine line that separates the two, and a lot of the time animation and motion design are used together in the same video. A good rule of thumb is that motion design’ main purpose is to display data and convey a message in a visual way. Animation is largely concerned with entertainment and telling a story.
Motion Graphics vs Animation vs Video — What’s the Difference?
People often use these three terms interchangeably, but they’re meaningfully distinct. Here’s a quick breakdown:
| Format | Primary Purpose | Typical Style | Common Uses |
| Motion Graphics | Communicate data or concepts | Shapes, text, icons, charts | Explainers, ads, title sequences |
| Animation | Tell a story or entertain | Characters, narrative, environments | Films, branded content, games |
| Live-Action Video | Showcase real people or places | Footage, interviews, b-roll | Testimonials, corporate videos, events |
The practical takeaway: if the goal is to explain something — a product, a process, a statistic — motion graphics is usually the right tool. If the goal is to emotionally engage or entertain, animation or live-action may serve better. Most professional video productions blend two or more of these formats depending on the message.
When is Motion Graphics Best Used?
You may have a complex, abstract idea that’s hard to explain with words alone. Supporting your explanation with motion graphics is a great way of helping audiences understand your message.
Think about ‘the cloud’, the figurative space where data is stored. When it was first developed, its creators had their work cut out trying to explain exactly how it worked to the average person on the street. Using motion graphics to show how individual devices link with the cloud would have been a powerful way to demonstrate how it works.
A lot of start-ups may find they have trouble explaining exactly what it is that their product or service does to potential buyers. The average person has no specialist knowledge of tech, finance, or any of a hundred other fields. Bridging this gap successfully can mean the difference between failure and success to a lot of fledgling companies. Motion graphics animation is great at simplifying difficult concepts into easily understood ideas.
Industries That Use Motion Graphics Most
Motion graphics aren’t confined to one sector. Across industries, they’ve become the default format whenever visual clarity matters more than narrative. The heaviest adopters include:
- Technology & SaaS — product demos, app walkthroughs, onboarding flows, and feature explainers all rely on motion graphics to show how software works without requiring a screen recording.
- Finance & Fintech — visualising data, market trends, and financial products to audiences who aren’t analysts. Charts that animate, flows that illustrate transactions, timelines that trace regulatory steps.
- Healthcare & Pharma — explaining drug mechanisms, patient journeys, or medical device functionality where live footage is either impractical or too graphic.
- Education & E-learning — platforms like Coursera, Khan Academy, and corporate LMS providers use motion design to maintain attention and illustrate abstract concepts.
- Marketing & Advertising — social media ads, pre-roll video, and landing page explainers. Motion designs are fast to produce, easy to localise, and highly adaptable to different formats and aspect ratios.
- Media & Entertainment — title sequences, broadcast graphics, lower thirds, and news visualisations are all motion design in daily use.
The common thread? Any industry that needs to communicate something complex — quickly and clearly — finds motion graphics useful. That covers most of them.
Benefits of Using Motion Graphics
The benefits of using motion design are numerous. It’s rare you’ll find a subject that motion graphics cannot be applied to. They’re incredibly versatile because they make up everything. Logos, shapes, colors, and elements can all be turned into trending motion design.
Endlessly customizable, they’re the perfect option for new businesses that want to leave their mark on the market and cement themselves in the audience’s mind. It’s far easier for buyers to connect with a message when it’s accompanied by visually appealing design.
Graphic design works with still images, specializing in saying a lot while using a little. One look at a picture should tell you everything you need to know about it. Because of this, motion graphics excel at simplifying information and maximizing understanding. This means it’s often a lot cheaper to produce than traditional animation, which relies on a narrative to tell its message.
Motion graphic animation is already widely used in society and makes use of easily recognizable images and symbols. This means audiences are already receptive to their use. Studies have shown that using animated videos can have a positive effect on conversions up to 85%.
Motion graphics are an indispensable tool that every established business or innovative start-up will want to have at their disposal. Delivering more bang for your buck than almost any other form of media or marketing available online.
If you want to take advantage of motion design and see how they can help your business grow, explore Kasra Design’s motion graphics production services to find the right format for your next project.