Animation Creation

Motion Graphics in Interactive Design

“Motion graphics can enhance the user’s sensory experience if they are designed well and are logically integrated”

• It is important to realize how motion graphics and dynamic information has changed our experience of receiving information
• As I hope to pursue a career in Information Science, exploring the various ways information systems and agencies employ animation techniques to communicate information (ex. on Websites) broadens how we implement interactive design with linear systems
• Although we can experiment with motion and graphic design, we must keep in mind navigation design and how intuitive the interface is
• RoTo Architects website: site treated as a spatial medium, layering of motion & change, combination of typography, graphics, and images

Formats

• Java: interactive animation, cartoon, 3D Graphics, typography. Advantage: platform ensures that they can run on any supported hardware/OS
• Animated GIF: low-tech option, sequential images, all browsers support, no programming knowledge required
• Flash: vector graphic animation, video-integration, content difficult to update
• dHTML: “Dynamic HTML”, complex language, uses CSS, limited in animation abilities
• Video Over the Web: Quicktime, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer. Basic, Progressive, Streaming downloading

Motion Graphics in the Environment

” Immersive environments shape a sense of place by providing order, ambiance, comfort, and insight to a physical or virtual space”

• It’s the interaction between digital technologies & spatial experience
• Recently been used to blend with settings (ex. Hotel lobbies, video walls etc.)
• Typography, composition, and movement all play a role in enhancing immersion
• Interior designs, exhibit design, art installation, educational installations, retail
• I realize animation design is becoming ubiquitous and is adaptive in nature as it can be implemented and used in a variety of context and settings to convey a variety of messages

Motion Literacy: Choreographing Movement

“And since designers are becoming more concerned with injecting motion into their work, motion literacy — the act of trying to understand how motion can be used to communicate more effectively — is essential” |  Jan Kubasiewicz

• There is a general importance in understanding how motion can be implemented to convey information and messages
• Spatial consideration: position, size, and orientation
• Motion design can construct environments that frame viewers experience (as active participants or as observers)
• Can create machine-like or human-like motion by changing velocity and time

Conceptualization: Developing Ideas

• I find this chapter to be very valuable as it presents the important — atleast to me — concept of forming and innovating ideas
• Audience consideration, to my experience, is fundamental to understanding how to direct technical technique
• Krasner also mentions the importance of research; previous methods and concepts have been created that can aid by refining your own concept as well as saving your time in overcoming challenges previously solved
• Although Krasner states that brainstorming “works best in an environment that is conductive to thought”, in my experience I have also found settings of various levels of “annoyances” to triggers ideas and connections. It is for this reason I agree with Krasner’s suggestion of always carrying a notebook/sketch pad to note spontaneous ideas.
• Creative thinking is definitely stimulated when one is inspired (especially by a identification/ personal relation to the topic), one must not be afraid to challenge their technical and creative abilities through experimentation
• In my experience, one must not be attached to their original idea/storyboard and encourage further refinement and editing. Although it is easier said that done, it creates a great difference in the outcome and effect.