Module 1: Motion Foundations

The Language of Motion Design

Motion graphics is graphic design that moves. Instead of a single poster or social media tile, you design a sequence of frames that changes over time: a logo that builds itself, a statistic that counts up, a title that slides in under a speaker. Motion catches the eye, explains ideas step by step and gives a brand personality. Before you open any software, you need the vocabulary that motion designers, editors and clients use, because almost every brief, feedback note and export setting will be written in these terms.

Frames, frame rate and duration

Video is a series of still images called frames shown quickly one after another. The frame rate is how many frames are shown each second, written as fps (frames per second). Common frame rates are:

• 24 fps: the traditional film rate, often used for a cinematic feel.
• 25 fps: the standard for broadcast in regions that use the PAL standard, which includes Kenya and much of Africa and Europe.
• 30 fps (strictly 29.97 in NTSC regions): common in North America and for a lot of online content.
• 50 or 60 fps: smoother motion, used for sport, gaming footage and some interface animation.

Time in motion software is often shown as timecode in the format hours:minutes:seconds:frames, so 00:00:02:12 means 2 seconds and 12 frames. At 25 fps, 12 frames is just under half a second. Always set your frame rate at the start of a project and match it to the video your animation will sit inside. Mixing frame rates later causes stutter.

Resolution, aspect ratio and the composition

Resolution is the size of the frame in pixels. Full HD is 1920 by 1080 pixels; 4K UHD is 3840 by 2160. Aspect ratio is the shape of the frame: 16:9 for widescreen video, 9:16 for vertical stories and reels, 1:1 for square posts and 4:5 for portrait feed posts. Platforms change their recommended sizes from time to time, so check each platform's current help pages before you deliver.

In After Effects, which this course uses, the canvas you animate inside is called a composition, or comp. A comp has a resolution, frame rate, duration and background colour. Inside it you stack layers: text, shapes, images, video and even other comps. A comp placed inside another comp is called a precomp, and it is how you keep complex projects organised.

Keyframes, interpolation and easing

You rarely draw every frame by hand. Instead you set keyframes: markers that store a property value at a moment in time, such as "position X is 200 at 0 seconds" and "position X is 1700 at 1 second". The software calculates every frame in between. This calculation is called interpolation. Easing describes how the speed changes between keyframes: an ease-out starts fast and slows into the end, an ease-in starts slow and speeds up. Most of the craft in motion design lives in these in-between frames, which is why the next lesson is devoted to timing and easing.

Other terms you will hear

Worked example: reading a brief

Imagine a Nairobi coffee shop, Kahawa Corner, sends you this brief: "We need a 10-second vertical animation for Instagram Reels showing our logo, the text 'Fresh roast every morning' and our M-Pesa till number, ending on the logo for 2 seconds."

Translated into motion language, you would set up a composition of 1080 by 1920 pixels (9:16), 25 or 30 fps, with a duration of 10 seconds. You would plan three layers of content: logo, tagline text and a till number text layer. The last 2 seconds are a hold, meaning nothing moves, so the viewer can read the logo. Before animating, you would also ask whether the shop needs sound and whether the file will have captions added by the platform.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing settings at random: starting a 1:1 comp when the client needs vertical video means rebuilding later.
• Using terms loosely: "make it faster" could mean shorter duration, harder easing or fewer holds. Ask what the client means.
• Forgetting holds: text needs time on screen to be read. Moving everything all the time makes motion tiring.
• Ignoring the final platform: a television advert, a website hero video and a WhatsApp status have different sizes, lengths and sound expectations.

Learn these words now and you will understand software menus, tutorials and client briefs much faster in the rest of the course.