Motion graphics animation usually features shapes, objects or text that are being set in motion. Whether or not there’s a “story” being told is a big determining factor in deciding if you’re dealing with motion graphics or animation. It’s a completely different type of animation. Want to animate characters to bring a children’s fairy tale to life? That’s actually not motion graphics. Motion graphics set shapes and letters in motion. Want the logo on your website to spin around? That’s motion graphics. Want the bars in your graph to rise up for some extra visual flair? That’s motion graphics. Motion graphics takes graphic design that would be otherwise static and gives it animation and movement, usually without following a specific narrative. Motion graphics design by Giaky® What are motion graphics?

We’ll also explain when to use which term when talking about motion graphics and animation. In this article, we’ll define motion graphics and explain how it differs from other styles of animation. The terms are often used interchangeably and the distinction is not always completely black and white. Motion graphics focus on giving movement to graphic design elements, but tend to have less of a concrete storytelling aspect than other types of animation.

While motion graphics describes moving or animated graphic design, animation is an umbrella term for the whole field of moving imagery, including everything from cartoons to claymation. If you want to get into producing animated videos for your business, you’ve probably asked yourself: What is the difference between animation and motion graphics?

Mograph animation