BRANDS IN MOTION

BRANDS IN

MOTION

MOTION GRAPHICS TO FASCINATE YOUNG PEOPLE

AUTHOR

Name Yasmine Vo

Student 0776751

Institute Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences Major Communication & Multimedia Design Minor User Experience Design

Graduation 22 June 2010

GRADUATION SUPERVISER

Name Barend Hendriks

Institute Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences

INTERNSHIP SUPERVISER

Name Hannes van Raaij

Company LBi Lostboys, Amsterdam

“I forgot that I might see, so many beautiful things.”

- Andain

preface

I always knew what my greatest passion was, right after the first pencil was given to me as a child. My entire life is inspired and strongly captivated by the beautiful colors given to the world, the shapes Mother Nature created and the significant power of dreams. There is no greater blessing, than knowing that I’ve been given the opportunity to live for my passion and become a professional visual designer.

My dream came true when I started studying Communication and Multimedia Design at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Now, after 4 years of college, this thesis will close the curtains on the wonderful memories of teachers and friends given by this Institute. With all the gained experience, I’m ready to share my passion with the world.

Enjoy reading my thesis

Yasmine Vo

I’m extremely grateful for everyone who blessed me with their support during this gradua- tion process. That’s why I’d like to say thank you…

To my mom, dad and brother for their support, encouragement and love.

To Hannes van Raaij for giving me the opportunity to work as a visual designer at LBi Lostboys.

To Barend Hendriks for being my tutor and guidance through my internships.

A special thank you goes out to…

Nick for his endless love and encouragement, Lisa for her faith and outstanding persistence,

Arian for his teachings in After Effects and bananas at work, Cheryl for her brilliant brainfarts,

Karin for the fun fat burning workouts, Kai for his wise words when playing pool, Ilona for believing in me,

Alex for being a native (English) speaker,

Collegues at Lostboys for the retardedness on the workfloor, The CMD crew for the endless skype conversations, fun forum

executive summary

This thesis provides a theoretical and practical research on the following question:

How can motion design improve a low interest brand for young people ?

To enable the answer to this question, there are four main subjects examined in this research:

visual design (and its elements), motion graphics, brands and the current generation of the youth.

Designing is a process of creating, learning and experimenting. With our visual thoughts and ideas we are able to continuously adjust the elements to get different moods and dimensions and translate design elements into functional and presentable designs; typography, grids, rhythm & balance, hierarchy, colors and shapes are the main ingredients that can bring forms of word and image that represent static, visual design.

People are captivated by anything that moves from the moment that they are born. Therefore, motion graphics are emotional and attractive to human beings. But excessive use of motion activity within a project can lead to distractions and in the worst case, be annoying to the viewer. It has been proven that motion graphics can be more powerful than static solutions, but only if the motion is not overdone and used wisely.

Brands are everywhere: there is no way in escaping them, because they are in our direct environment. A brand is not a logo, not an identity system nor a product. A brand is the gut feeling of consumers. When we all feel the same about a product, you can refer it

Generation Einstein is the new generation of the youth. They are born in an era influenced by the Internet, media and new technology. With the vulnerability of the youth, companies, schools, organizations and adults try to shape them. This is because we believe that Generation Einstein are the future of this world.

After five months of researching, observation and work experience the answer to the research question is as follows:

When a low interest brand takes the effort to understand the youth and uses the power of promotion effectively towards young people, we can say that motion graphics can empower a low interest brand for this current generation of the youth.

table of contents

01 02 03

Anatomy Grids Typography

Rhythm and Balance Hierarchy

Colors

16 16 17 18 20 21 22

30 31 32 33 36 38 40

46 47 48 50 52 From static to motion

Nature of Motion graphics Morphology

Basics of animation

What a brand isn’t Marketer vs. Designer The brand promise Conclusion

VISUAL

DESIGN MOTION

DESIGN BRANDS

04 05 06

56 58 60 61

62

66 66 68 74 75 78

82 Generation Einstein

The internet

New media & visual design Communicating with young people

Conclusion

Introduction Case description Testing

From concept to motion Design

Advice report

Conclusion

YOUNG

PEOPLE CASE

STUDY CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTioN

INTRODUCTioN

INTRODUCTION

MOTIVE

Companies that provide big brands have large campaigns to attract consumers to its identity. The design, which labels the brand, is very essential and important to consumers. A brand needs to attract the right people for its purposes and therefore needs to stand out in our society. A lot of companies don’t know what is available to provide the right look & feel to a brand, which can lead to wrong interpretations of the brand identity. The brand experience that the company promises to provide should be compelling, attractive and hit the soft spot of their target group.

The current generation of young people, teenagers as well as students, seem to take brands very seriously. I remember when I was in high school:

it was all about reputation. You just need to fit in with a certain group, to survive the harsh school life.

Brands can help the youth stand out with what they wear, use or represent.

But how do these brands reach the current genera- tion of young people? They need to experience the brands to know if it’s in their likings. We need to attract them and figure out what triggers them to get related to the brand, especially when it’s a low interest brand.

RESEARCH QUESTION

We will discover the difference between static and motion design and how this can strengthen the power of a low interest brand. It is expected that my journey through design, brands and the current generation of youth will provide a certain answer to the main research question:

How can motion design improve a low interest brand for young people?

This main research question is supported by the following sub questions:

What are visual design elements?

What is the difference between static and motion?

How can motion be implemented effectively?

What is the meaning of a brand?

How can we attract the youth to motion design?

HYPOTHESIS

Fast moving transitions and illustrated motion graphics fascinate the youth of this generation.

With the power of motion graphics, low interest brands that aren’t related to the youth can be made attractive.

FIELD OF EXPERTISE

There are a lot of reports and papers about the research of motion graphics, brands or the youth that are approached from different perspectives,

by all kinds of specialists. This report is written from the perspective of a visual designer specialized in user experience design. The focus of this report is strongly based on the importance of design and its influence on the viewer. Technical subjects won’t be discussed in this report.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this report is to show readers how much influence visual design can have on the viewers. A theoretical and practical approach will provide a complete explanation and conclusion for this report.

visual

design

visual

design

THE DEFINITION

Since the term “visual design” itself is a difficult definition to describe, it seems that certain individuals have different interpretations of what visual design exactly means. The dictionary defines visual design as “the art or profession of visual communication that combines images, words, and ideas to convey information to an audience.” (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2009) But according to a well-known lecturer on arts, visual design is a popular art and a practical art, an applied art and an ancient art. Simply put, it is the art of visualizing ideas. (Helfand, 1999)

“Visual design is a visualization of

inspirations and ideas that we have to see, feel and experience in order to understand the things that are displayed.”

ANATOMY OF VISUAL DESIGN

Design is a progress of creating. As in many

professions the computer is now the primary tool, the same goes for visual designers. With the help of computers we can create a relationship between the eye (the designer) and technology (the computer) that manifests visual thinking. With these visual thoughts and ideas we can translate design elements into functional and attractive designs (Newark, 2002).

Dividing up visual design into categories is essentially a fruitless exercise. It ought to be a support to the definitions that we’ve talked through in the last chapter. If we take a closer look at the anatomy of the visual designs and put them in divided elements, we might get a clear view of what these elements can bring forth to our TV screens, monitors, posters, flyers, t-shirts et cetera.

This part of my thesis examines the anatomy and basics of visual design and it’s components including grids, typography, rhythm & balance, hierarchy, colors and shapes. By combining these main As the age of the computer and its online media is growing, the participation of visual design is needed to support our screens. Businesses and organizations need to effectively communicate their brands to the consumers. They’re doing this by hiring design companies to creatively express the company’s intent. Knowing that this strategy works, the marketers set up our daily lives influenced by designed elements such as flyers, posters, ads, commercials, billboards et cetera. (Luhring, 2000) These designed elements are based on visual designs. But what exactly is visual design?

visual design

GRIDS

A grid system is a network of lines. These lines often run horizontally and vertically in evenly paced increments, but they can also be angled, irregular or even circular as well. Grid systems are helpful to organize content in a design layout using combinations of margins, guides, rows and columns.

If you look closely into a magazine, newspaper or a well designed website, the consistency of the layout will be visible through the compositions of type and images. Grids are often invisible for those who don’t have any affinity with design. But for designers such as myself, following these eventually invisible grids can help us create successful print and web layouts.

There are many types of grids and there’s no limit to the grid layouts that can be created. Nowadays, designers often use two, four, eight or sixteen- column grids with a header across the top and a full-page grid of squares or rectangles to work with. Variation in column widths, borders and other features of the grid can lead to unique design layouts. The grid system is a tool to guide a designer’s composition. A designer can decide whether to stick to the grid or creatively break free from it. (Krause, 2004)

Mathematics may be involved when we’re using grid systems. There are certain methods, proportions and compositions that are based on mathematics.

Because of its nature, mathematics has been a part of art and architecture for ages. Even now, math is beginning to improve our grid systems by using it in web design. The Golden Ratio, Golden Rectangle and Fibonacci are methods to empower the strength of our designs. These mathematical principles amplify our grid systems and create natural balances.

(Gupta, 2010)

TYPOGRAPHY

Typography surrounds our lives and is continuously affecting us directly everyday. Non-verbally we communicate through contents of type such as text-messages, e-mails, social networks, daily papers, commercials, road signs and many more.

A life without typography would be a complete chaos, since we can’t imagine a life without the alphabet: The fundament of our languages.

“Typography is the art and technique of creating and composing type in order to convey a message. The term ‘type’ includes the design and function of alphabetic symbols to represent languages.”

Each letterform is evolved as a simple symbol, which differentiates from others through its characteristics.

The fundament of a letterform is the stroke.

If you take the capital letter A for example, you can see that it has two vertical strokes placed in an angle to form a triangle. These two strokes are intersected by a horizontal stroke. Letterforms often share the same parts to help understanding that the alphabet is a system of symbols. (Bellantoni, 1999)

It’s very important for a designer to know how to use type effectively. To do so, we need to understand basic typography manners and characteristics.

CHARACTERISTICS Character Anatomy.

The anatomy of all letterforms is very important to typographers. They make sure all the elements are correctly aligned and shaped for the perfectly balanced font.

Character Weight.

The heaviness, thickness or blackness of a character is referred to as its weight. A typeface is often designed with at least the two main weights: regular and bold.

Character Width.

The width of a character is the vertical space between strokes. Examples of width terms are: condensed, regular and extended.

Character Size.

The size of a character is related to what context it will be used for. Types below 12 points are considered text type. If the type is bigger then 12 points it’s often considered as display type.

Character Spacing.

The spacing between characters depends on the kind of font you’re using. Letters are assembled into words with what is known as differential spacing.

Interline Spacing.

The interline spacing is the space between the lines

ANATOMY

Typography

1

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

2

4 7

3

5

6

8

9

Ascender line Base line

Ascender height

Cap height Descender X - height

Cap line Mean line

Descender height

a a a

a a a

regular semi-bold bold

Weight

Anatomy

Width

RHYTHM AND BALANCE

“I pay close attention to the variety of shapes and sizes, and place the objects so that the lines and edges create a rhythm that guides the viewer’s eye around the im- age and into the focal point”

Balance is a fundamental human condition. We seek for balance among many facets of our personal and professional lives and the world keeps on struggling to find the balance in power. It is in the human nature to sense balance (or imbalance) in the things that we see, hear, smell, touch and taste.

Balance acts as a catalyst for form in visual design:

It anchors and activates space. Think about it, how many times have your eyes spotted something that amplifies an unresolved design? This usually occurs because the balance of the design is off.

The proportion and placement of the elements aren’t in relation with each other: too big, too tight, too flat, misaligned and so on. Relationships among design elements remind us of physical relationships.

Visual balance comes forth when the weight of one or more elements is distributed evenly or proportionally in space. For example, when you’re arranging furniture in your room, we need to move components around until we finally find the balance that feels right (Feng Shui).

Rhythm is a strong, regularly patterned recurrence of a beat or accent: the patter of the rain, the ticking of a clock or the falling of footsteps. Visual designers use rhythm in the construction of static images as well as in books, magazines or motion graphics that have a duration and sequence. Most forms of visual design seek rhythms that are punctuated with change and variation.

By combining balance and rhythm we can create designs that pulse with life, achieving both stability and surprise. (Lupton, Philips, 2008)

ANATOMY

HIERARCHY

“Design is the conscious effort to impose a meaningful order.”

Hierarchy is the order of importance within a group or objects. The hierarchical order can be seen around us, it exists in almost everything we know: the army, family units, religion, governments and even in books (such as sections and chapters of a book). Designers also work in a hierarchical company, it is expressed through a naming system: CEO, creative director, competence leader, art directors, senior designers, junior designers and interns.

Hierarchy can also be expressed visually, through variations of scale, color, spacing and placement.

Expressing order is very important; it is a central task for a visual designer. Visual hierarchy controls the impact and delivering of a message. Without it, visual communication is dull and difficult to navigate.

(Lupton, Philips, 2008)

Visual hierarchy provides important benefits for designers. It organizes complex information and provides a method of guiding the viewer through the content by the way of importance of a design.

Legibility is an important factor in a design.

Well-designed information hierarchy allows viewers to scan and skim large amounts of information without having to read a single word. The viewer is then able to quickly understand the content based on the importance, and to determine what’s relevant or useful to their needs. (Lascano, 2009)

The elements that can be used to create hierarchy are:

■ Color and contrast

■ Spacing, including negative space

■ Position

■ Typography

■ Grid structure

■ Grouping

■ Weight and scale

■ Visual elements (bullet points, icons, rules) CEO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Hierarchy in the design industry

COLORS

“All colors are the friends of their

neighbors and the lovers of their opposites”

Marc Chagall

The world around us is filled with colors, at least that’s what we think and observe. We experience color with just one of our five main senses: sight. There are tons of things that can be heard, touched, smelled and seen. Colors on the other hand, can only be seen; you can’t smell it, taste it nor touch it. Color can express a mood, describe reality or codify information. Words like “gloomy”, “fantasy” and “cold”

each bring to mind a general perception of colors, a palette of relationships. Colors are like a happening that is caused and created by the person who’s watching.

After Sir Isaac Newton discovered the successful theory of universal gravitation, he got interested in light and color theories and started experimenting in 1665. He discovered that a prism separates light into a spectrum based on the colors of the rainbow:

red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

He organized the colors around a wheel very much like the one designers use today to describe the relationships among colors. (Fraser, Banks, 2005)

The color wheel was a useful tool for painters and artists in the past and it’s still a useful tool for my generation of designers. The colors that sit near each other on the color spectrum are analogous. If you’d use them together they’d provide minimal contrast and create harmony, because they contain common elements in the sequence. However, two colors sitting opposite each other on the wheel are complements. They don’t have any elements in common and they create opposing temperatures, such as warm versus cool. Designers can decide to use analogous or contrasting colors to affect the visual energy and mood of the composition. (Lupton, Philips, 2008)

There are a lot of rules and standards to create compositions and color compositions that will lead to a fulfilled design. These rules and principles are guides to help designers through their process;

it’s not a law that designers must follow to

produce a good design. As a matter of fact it doesn’t matter whether a designer learned his/her skills in books, literature or just intuitively. When you design, you’ll have a certain routine you always follow; it’s like a safe zone.

ANATOMY

People often think that the computer have everything preset, which is a false thought. When you sketch something

on paper (the traditional way), your hands and brain do the work and put an idea on paper.

However, if you’d work on the computer, the elements can be moved over and over and there are no boundaries

to creating or deleting something when you’re designing. Your

brain keeps on producing new ideas that can be put on the

screen rather easily and quick.

You can move back and forth until you finally found the colors and composition that feels right. (Fraser,

Banks, 2005)

Colorwheel

SHAPES

“The form of an object is not more important than the form of the space surrounding it. All things exist in

interaction with other things.”

Shapes are fundamental elements of visual design.

They are figures (forms) that make up countless elements in all kinds of designs. A figure is always seen in relation to its surroundings such as backgrounds, other shapes and colors. A white shape on a white background isn’t visible; without separation and contrast, form disappears.

Triangles, circles and squares (rectangles) are the three main and basic shapes. Shapes (alone or combined) can convey a universal meaning as well as guide our eyes or organize information. There are three basic types of shapes: natural, abstract and geometric. Natural shapes can be found in nature and they are often irregular and fluent; leaves are an example of natural shapes. Abstract shapes are stylized or simplified natural shapes. Symbols found on signs (like a wheelchair icon) can be an example.

Geometric shapes are often symmetrical shapes that are structured. These include squares, circles, triangles, hexagons and cones. (Lupton, 2004)

One of the keys to a successful visual design is using shapes properly. The characteristics of the shapes including form, color, size and other elements can determine the mood and message of a design.

Shapes that are soft, curved and rounded are perceived differently than sharp and angled shapes.

Also, the negative space (white space) left between shapes can also significantly impact a design.

Experimenting with shapes in a design can ultimately lead to the desired results.

With the software nowadays, visual designers can deal with shapes very efficiently. Adobe Illustrator is one of the most useful tools for shape creation and manipulation. The basic shapes such as squares, circles and triangles can be created with a click and drag of the mouse. Adjusting these shapes is very easy; using tools in Illustrator and similar programs can create more complex shapes of limitless dimensions. Colors, patterns, opacity and other characteristics can also be easily altered. With this technology and handy software, designers can create almost any shape that exists and create beautiful and intriguing designs. (Miller, 2008)

ANATOMY

“Eplosion of colors and shapes”

Designed by André Meca

CONCLUSION

In this chapter we’ve learned that design is a process of creating, learning and experimenting.

Visual design is full of fundamental elements and characteristics that can make magnificent changes within a design. Every single element of the anatomy can be an important factor in a design. With our visual thoughts and ideas we are able to continuously adjust the elements to get different moods and dimensions and translate design elements into functional and presentable designs.

Typography, grids, rhythm & balance, hierarchy, colors and shapes are the main ingredients that can bring forms of word and image that represent static, visual design.

motion

design

motion

design

THE DEFINITION

Defining visual design isn’t as problematic and complex if we’d compare it to motion graphics. A misleading and simple explanation of motion graphics would be to say that it is “visual design in motion”. If this explanation would be relevant, you could say that a moving car with a tribal print on the side could be classified as motion graphics, which would be incorrect. However, a billboard screen, which presents sequential images of designs that change over time, would be an example of motion graphics. “Motion Graphics are designed non-narrative, non-figurative based visuals that change over time” Matt Franz. The distinction of non-narrative, non-figurative based visuals is to separate motion graphics from the larger general definition of animation or film (Frantz, 2003). There are various articles, essays and books on the subject of motion graphics, all with different thoughts and definitions of motion graphics. Matt Frantz’s thesis takes both theoretical and historical approaches. His definition of motion graphics comes very close to what I think motion graphics should be defined as.

Fine art has embraced the power of animation in film, installation and performance art since the early 1920’s.

Since the late 1970’s, visual design has evolved from a static publishing discipline to one that incorporates the study of animation within a broad range of communications and technologies (broadcast, film, DVD titles, interactive media and the world wide web). The current stream of visual designers who have developed digital technological abilities, have the opportunity (and are often expected) to become animators, as well. (Krasner, 2004) To comprehend the power of motion design as a visual artist, we need to understand the relationship between static expressions and movement. So far, we’ve seen how static elements can turn into visual design.

But how do we turn visual design into a motion project that involves time, space and motion?

motion design

FROM STATIC TO MOTION

“I’ve always said there are three keys to the heart of consumers. Mystery, sensuality and intimacy. Here’s how they come alive.

Sight, sound and motion.”

The design profession has transformed profoundly over the past 25 years. As the designer has expanded into new skill sets and areas of creative practice, the design of commercial art and visual design has evolved into something more complex. We started in the eighties with many print productions, such as page layout, typesetting and (mechanical) preparation and moved away from the mechanical machines onto desktop computers. In the early nineties, an explosion of typeface design was the result of consumer access to technology: software for creating and modifying typefaces reached the designer’s hands. A few years later, the designer gained access to the tools for creating and producing websites and moving type. We have now arrived in the midst of a new wave commonly referred to as motion design, or motion graphics. This new wave is another technological evolution, for current design studios and freelancers now have access to highly advanced, yet affordable hardware and software that are literally on their desktops. (Woolman, 2004)

We’ve slowly moved from static expressions to movement in our designs. With the ability to create animation and with our possession of new technol- ogy on our local desktops, visual designers are now able to bring their static creations to life and breathe out motion activities. Because of the availability of this new stream of technology, the current genera- tion of visual designers is starting to use more motion in their designs. With the latest trends of design and technology, the growing presence of motion graph- ics on television, the Internet, campaigns and even entertainment forms such as DVDs and videogames is a logical progression from static graphics.

(Frantz, 2003)

NATURE OF MOTION GRAPHICS

Motion graphics is multi disciplined. It is a

convergence of animation, illustration, visual design and narrative filmmaking, to name but a few. The word “graphic” is important: this includes content that has graphic emphasis such as symbols, icons and illustrated objects that are built from the graphical elements that we’ve seen in the previous chapter (1.2 Anatomy, Visual Design). “Motion” is a universal language. In motion graphics, it may have more impact than the actual content being animated. The method chosen by a designer to move an element across the screen can enhance its meaning. There are a lot of ways to animate visual elements. Just like colors, different kinds of movements can bring a certain mood or an expression. Calm movements with dark colors can create the sense of mystery, while a jumpy typography with rainbow colors that change over time can create the sense of hyperactivity or happiness. The motion itself can be the message. (Krasner, 2008)

Here are a few characteristics to further define the nature of motion graphics

NATURE & MORPHOLOGY

Motion graphics are two-dimensional by nature. However, they can create the illusion of a three dimensional movement of design elements. They are often projected on screens having width and length, but they have no physical depth.

However, the progression from 2D to 3D is also evolving slowly. The current (animation) movies shown in theaters have been using 3D techniques.

Motion graphics are currently often used in interactive multimedia, but they don’t necessarily have to be interactive.

They may be presented in a linear way in which the viewer has no control over the presented graphics, such as commercials or show reels. However, by using Adobe Flash, a lot of designers try to use motion while interacting with their viewer. Nowadays, it’s a trend and a must to make websites more accessible for viewers. Direct feedback and small motion items can help viewers understand what they are

currently doing.

Motion graphics don’t actually have to move, as long as they change in some way over time. For example, a shape

1

2

3

MORPHOLOGY

“A morphology is the study of the structure and form of a language system, including inf ection, derivation, and the formation of compounds”

In this thesis, morphology is presented for the study of the language of motion graphics design. Morphologies are tools that can be used in the process of analyzing and creating. It should be considered as a source of attributes and variables. It should also be considered as a framework to experiment, improvise and invent.

The morphology of my thesis has three primary considerations behind motion design: space, form and time.

The fundamentals of space, form and time were developed in order to create appropriate and effective visual communication.

The three elements all have their unique specifications. Combining them together will lead to the visual

l

ANATOMY OF MOTION GRAPHICS

SPACE

Space includes attributes related to the space (or stage) in which a motion sequence can operate.

Within space there are two main variables that are separated into several fundamental elements:

STRUCTURE

Elements and perspective

FRAME

Aspect ratio, orientation, composition, ground, depth and masks

FORM

Form includes all visual elements that perform in the stage space. Within form there are three main variables that are separated into several fundamental elements:

IMAGE

Render, shape, size, color, surface and dimension

TEXT

Case, face, size, weight, width and posture

SUPPORTING

Line, symbol, shape and audio

MORPHOLOGY

TIME

Time is the critical consideration of motion design and includes attributes that describe events occurring over a period of transformations, frames, stages, space et cetera. Within time there are two main variables that are separated into several fundamental elements:

MOTION

Dynamics, direction, orientation, rotation, proximity, grouping, layering and transformation

SEQUENCE

Structure, juxtaposition, hierarchy, transition, rhythm, duration and pause

In the previous chapter about the anatomy of visual design (Chapter 1, Anatomy of visual design), we’ve talked about the basics and the main ingredients that will provide word and images when combined.

All the visual elements and characteristics are also involved in motion graphics. The terms we’ve seen in the anatomy of visual design such as typography (text), rhythm, balance, hierarchy, colors and shapes

BASICS OF ANIMATION

Currently designers all over the world are

experimenting, learning and experiencing the basics of motion graphics. This is because visual designers are triggered to evolve along with the technological development to become a more disciplined designer, who also contains the skill set to animate and create motion projects. By experimenting with one of the most common motion graphics programs, Adobe After Effects, you can learn how to control the basics and make static graphics come alive through motion.

the basics

The best way to understand something like motion graphics is to actually experience it. Let’s take a look at some examples of the elements that make our static visual elements come alive. Within these examples we’ll discover the five basic animation movements, z-space and easing. (Kramer, 2009)

The five basic animations / transitions are:

POSITION

Movement from one spot to another of an element

ROTATION

Rotation of an element

SCALING

Shrinking and growing of an element

OPACITY

The visibility of an element

All animation, movie and motion projects are based on these five main transitions. They are the main functionalities within the Adobe After Effects program. To make it a little bit more interesting, Adobe After Effects has a Z-space functionality programmed in it. This functionality can create the illusion of a project that is two-dimensional into something that looks three-dimensional. It also provides the ability to move a camera, in which you can show different angles and views of the composition you’re working in.

Camera tilting and 3D effect:

Z - SPACE & CAMERA

The illusion of depth and tilting possibilities of the camera position on elements

But as expected, there’s always more to creating mo- tion than just using these six functionalities. Adobe After Effects contains thousands of possibilities, effects and options to create something beautiful and stunning. The more you practice, the better you understand how to use all these tools effectively.

One of the other things that are related to basic animations is the easing option on the key frames.

If you’d use the six basic animations without adding some easing to it, the transitions will look abrupt and instant. To smooth the transitions out, there are three simple ease functions built in After Effects. (Kramer, 2009)

Time based movements, easing:

EASE IN

The transition starts fast and ends slowly

EASE OUT

The transition starts slowly and ends fast

EASY EASE

The transition starts slowly and ends slowly Next to Adobe After Effects there are a lot of other programs that can be used to produce motion

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

“The future of Visual Design is Motion Graphics”

With the tools for creating time-based design in our hands and the increasing presence of motion in our environments, many visual designers and motion specialists (Jon Krasner, Matt Frantz, Jacob Trollbäck and many more) profoundly believe that motion graphics are our future. We tend to be hooked by design in motion. People are captivated by anything that moves from the moment they are born. If we see big screens on the streets with an interesting commercial or a pointless moving type, we have to strain to avoid watching it. That’s also the reason why a large number of visual designers are beginning to explore animation and filmmaking. Movies, animation and motion graphics are tempting us designers to experiment with the power of motion. Now that it’s so easily accessible, creatable and designable, what is there to stop us from making great motion projects? (Trollbäck, 2008)

differences and similarities

Visual designers and motion designers may differ in a lot of ways, but as a designer you’re always creating something to convey a message to the viewers. The similarities are in the part where the visual elements are created. Over the past few decades, visual designers have gained a larger skill set and easy access to motion creating tools. A motion designer is actually the same as a visual designer, but they are more advanced because they are specialized in motion. They can create time-based projects, while visual designers can only make static graphics.

One of the common differences between static graphics and motion design can be seen when we browse through the Internet. Websites with stunning motion graphics are able to capture immediate interest of their audience, while static graphics don’t always engage the attention of the viewer as well as something in motion. Anyone who often browses through websites will testify that the attention of a visitor needs to be captured in a matter of seconds.

Innovative and interactive techniques are able to do this. With motion graphics you can both quickly attract and educate consumers about your products much better than with static graphics because of the engaging experience consumers get.

Motion graphics can be used to create a range of emotional responses from the audience. They can breathe life into our advertisements and add extra meaning to the message we want to convey. With motion involved in our projects we are able to entice or repel our viewers, surprise and shock them. The stronger the emotions we can evoke, the better chances of triggering the audience to understand the message we created. Static graphics, in comparison, do not have the depth and uniqueness of motion design. According to Brian O’Connel, an expert in marketing and sales, creative motion graphics are better than static graphics in snaring potential cos- tumers. (O’Connel, 2010)

DIFFERENCES IN EYE MOVEMENTS

In 1998 Naohiko Hayata and Satoru Ino, two students of the Hokkaido University in Japan (Division of Urban and Environmental Engineering) conducted research on the difference in eye movements and visual impressions in response to static versus motion picture imagery of streetscapes. The research investigated techniques of urban environment visualizations using computer graphics. They took single static pictures of regular intervals from a townscape and made simulations to evaluate.

Their results showed that there were considerable differences in visual processes between static and motion images:

Moving environment – Visual attention is more focused on a limited area, which is consistent with the sequential view and continuously reorients itself with the direction of the movement.

Static environment – Visual attention is spread over the whole image. Without motion being involved, the view of static images won’t be limited.

This provides the evidence of the differences between static and motion images; the perceptions

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EFFECTIVE MOTION GRAPHICS

With the growth of motion graphics in our designs, websites are becoming increasingly complex and also decreasingly static. Designs with motion can be stunning, interesting and capture the viewer’s attention, but unfortunately there are pros and cons to everything; motion graphics also have a downside. Too much animation and motion does not strengthen user experiences. When too many things are moving around, viewers can get easily distracted or annoyed. For example, animated web banners can be a very distracting part of a website. Usability professionals often encounter test participants who use their hands or even sticky notes to cover some parts of the computer screen, in order to avoid the distractions of the banners. Designers are using more motion and multimedia to add value to content and attract attention, but the result can lead to overwhelming graphics that reduces the quality of the user experience.

THE USE OF MOTION GRAPHICS

To use the power of motion graphics effectively we need to consider when, where and why we choose to use it. Here are seven points to keep in mind, in order to produce effective motion graphics:

(IDUX, 2010)

■ Motion graphics attract attention. Using too much movement can be distracting and annoying for the viewers.

■ Motion graphics are only better than static expressions when they make it easier to understand complex information.

■ Motion graphics are effective when the viewer can understand the message that they provide.

■ Motion graphics should provide enough information and visual cues to help viewers understand the message.

■ Motion graphics must include a script, storyboard and a plan to convey information before they can be created.

■ Motion graphics can support animations with corresponding text and audio.

■ Motion graphics should be tested on the target audience,

effective motion graphics

“Static Motion”

Designed by Michael Kammerer

CONCLUSION

In this chapter we’ve learned that motion graphics is multi disciplined. It is a convergence of animation, illustration, visual design and many more. Motion graphics have evolved over the past 25 years and turned our designers from mechanical handcraft workers into creative desktop computer users. With the upcoming technology, motion graphics are slowly growing into our environment through our televisions, the Internet, campaigns and interactive devices.

Because of this growth, our current visual designers are triggered and forced to involve more motion in their common static projects.

With the availability of affordable hardware and software to create designs, companies and freelancers are able to use these on their local computers. That also includes the software program Adobe After Effects, a commonly used program to create motion graphics. By using it, I’ve learned how to control the five basic transitions, z-space and camera adjustments, and how to edit these time-based movements with easing options to smoothen things out.

People are captivated by anything that moves from the moment that they are born. Many professional designers believe that motion graphics will be the future. With the growth of motion projects, visual designers are becoming motivated to start educating themselves about animation and motion techniques.

Visual designers can differ from motion designers in a lot of ways, but they both have the same goal; creating something to convey a message to the viewers. Motion designers are the exact same as a visual designer, but they differ in that they are more disciplined in motion, because a motion designer is merely an advanced visual designer who is capable of creating motion projects.

Motion graphics are emotional and attractive. But excessive use of motion activity within a project can lead to distractions and in the worst case, be annoying to the viewer. It has been

BRANDS

BRANDS

Brands are everywhere. From stores to malls; they’re displayed on televisions, on billboards, in our daily papers and even hidden in our shoes and handbags; they are on our clothes, in our houses, on the radio and continu- ously in our field of view. We practically breathe in and out brands constantly, there’s no escaping them. People of all ages are involved with brands daily; it’s in our schools, gyms and hospitals, it’s in all of our environments.

It doesn’t matter what company you work for or what specialty you have, we all work for a certain brand with a certain goal. There are a lot of principles and marketing strategies that explain the difficulty of brands and trade- marks. However, in this thesis we will only discuss the basics and relevant subjects that will contain answers to the main research question. The presence of brands is very strong and clear, but what exactly is a brand?

BRANDS

THE DEFINITION

Since branding has an extremely ranged definition, there are enough entrepreneurs and marketing gurus who have defined “brand” or “branding” within their specialization. One of the most famous marketing gurus of all times is Philip Kotler. He defined the term “brand” in his book “Marketing Management” in 1980:

“A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them which is intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.”

Each century contains different marketing positions and brand strategies. Kotler wrote his definition in the eighties, when people strongly thought about brand strategies that were focused to gain dominant positions in the market.

(Kotler, 1980) After Kotler penned his definition, there were several others who defined “brand”. Living in another century means delivering different definitions; the world keeps evolving and innovating, therefore the interpretation of the term “brand” might change over time. Here are some examples of definitions written by other marketers:

“A brand is complementary to the product; manufacturers producing a product and a name attached to it, need to be made meaningful to the consumer.”

“Branding is the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and

WHAT A BRAND ISN’T

With the definitions given by marketing experts we gained the knowledge of what the term “brand“ means. We can make things less complex in order to understand what a brand truly is, if we start with a clean slate and wipe away some of the misconceptions about brands:

A brand shouldn’t be seen as a logo. The term “logo” comes from the ancient Greek language, in which “logos” means “word”. Logo is short for “logotype” which is a trademark made from a custom- lettered word. The word logo confuses people because it’s a commonly used word, but what they really refer to is a trademark. Trademarks can be visualized through a symbol, monogram, emblem or logo.

However, neither a trademark nor a logo is the same as a brand. It’s merely a visual expression for it.

A brand is not a corporate identity system. In the 20th century, an identity system is nothing more but a construct for controlling the use of trademarks and visual expressions (company publications, advertisements, signs et cetera). Nowadays, there’s still a need for identity manuals and visual consistencies. However, visual consistency alone does not stand for a brand.

A brand is not a product. People who are specialized in marketing often talk about managing their brands, while they’re actually referring to products, sales and distribution. A brand is not something tangible that can be managed; it’s more like an invisible layer of meaning that surrounds the product.

Now that the common misconceptions are cleared out, we can make room for the true meaning of a brand. A brand is nothing physical or tangible, it’s an individuals gut feeling about a product, service or company. It’s a gut feeling because we are all emotional and intuitive human beings, despite the fact that we can be very rational.

It’s also a gut feeling because we all have a different interpretation of how we feel about a brand. We individually define the brand itself, not the companies, markets nor the general public. Since companies don’t have any control over the gut feelings of consumers, they can only influence them by creating and communicating the qualities that make their products stand out compared to other brands. When a certain amount of individuals gain the same gut feeling, a company has created a true brand. (Neumeier, 2006)

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MARKETER VS. DESIGNER

MARKETER VS. DESIGNER

Brand identities and brand personalities are fundamental parts of brands. However, the terms

“brand identity” and “brand personality” often confuse people and evoke discussions about brands.

Even in certain books and papers the two terms can be used in the wrong way, which may lead to wrong interpretations. Ruud Boer, a well-known marketing specialist, studied a range of definitions and interviewed knowledgeable specialists. After his research, he concluded that there are two perspectives: one from the marketers, the other from

MARKETER’S PERSPECTIVE

Brand identity is the unique combination of physical, social and mental components of a brand, as long as they’re one of a kind, different, central and sustainable.

Brand personality is the experience or description of a brand in terms of human personality characteristics. It’s the resulting progress of

personifying a brand based on brand-attributes that are equal to emotional responses. (Franzen, v.d. Berg, 2001)

The difference between brand identity and brand personality, according to most

marketers is thus:

Brand identity is the fundamental

development of the brand personality

concept, because the brand personality comes forth out of the brand identity. The brand personality is basically the appearance of the brand identity. It’s important that you know who you are, before you can show

BRAND IDENTITY

BRAND PERSONALITY

Marketer’s perspective

DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE

Most visual designers give their priority to the design of a brand; it’s the most important and fundamental factor.

Brand identity is the description of superficial identity characteristics of a brand. This includes the brand name, logo, color et cetera.

Brand personality; are the characteristic elements that describe the personality of a brand. (Koopmans, 2001)

The terms are very similar, because both of them are defined as a “description” of a

brand. The difference is that the brand identity is very superficial, while the brand personality is the core of a brand.

(Boer, 2007)

MARKETER VS. DESIGNER

As seen in the previous conceptions of terms, marketers and designers have different perspectives of the brand identity and brand personality. The brand identity is the foundation of the brand personality to marketers. As to designers it’s vice versa; the brand’s identity is the visual aspects and the brand personality is the core.

It doesn’t matter how you look at it; there is no wrong or right. The perspectives exist because they are approached by practical or theoretical methods that differ in profession and specialization. Although,

it’s important for marketers as well as designers to communicate their perspectives

in the right way in order to create an effective brand.

(Boer, 2007)

BRAND PERSONALITY

BRAND

IDENTITY

THE BRAND PROMISE

The brand identity can be separated into two sections: one mental brand identity, the other visual brand identity.

The visual brand identity can be described as the “outer” brand. Human senses like sight, sound, touch, taste and smell are an important feature of the visual brand identity. The mental brand identity can be described as the

“inner” brand. It contains the brand’s visions, missions, personality, concepts and promise.

The brand promise is exactly what it says; it describes what the brand promises to the consumers. A famous example is the brand promise of Nokia: “Nokia – connecting people”. The promise that a brand provides is often a short message, slogan or note that identifies their brand. It’s there to show consumers that they are reliable, the best in the market or just unique. The brand promise is a clever method to influence the gut feelings of consumers and potential costumers. (Boer, 2007)

Here are some examples of noticeable brand promises:

FAST FOOD BRANDS

Burger King: “It just taste better”

Mac Donalds: “I’m loving it”

SPORTS BRANDS Nike: “Just do it”

Adidas: “Impossible is nothing”

BEVERAGES BRANDS Coca Cola: “Always Coca Cola”

Sisi: “Take it easy, take a Sisi”

ELECTRONIC BRANDS Philips: “Sense and Simplicity”

Apple: “Think different” “Nike Air - Just do it”

Nike Air Lab Exhibition 2006

CONCLUSION

In this chapter we’ve learned that brands are everywhere. There is no way in escaping brands;

they are in our direct living environment. Also, there are various definitions about brands given by marketing expert and gurus. With time passing, there is a possibility that definitions can change. Therefore, with our consumers and companies changing over time, the meaning of a

“brand” can be interpreted differently.

We’ve seen definitions that tell us what the term “brand” means. By clearing out some of the misconceptions about brands, we can make room for the truth. A brand is not a logo, not an identity system nor a product. A brand is the gut feeling of consumers. When we all feel the same about a product, you can refer it to as a brand.

Marketers and designers think differently about the brand identity and brand personality. This is because they both come from a different side of specialization and profession. However, with both working on brands from time to time, we need to understand one another by communicating the brand identity and personality directly.

The brand promise is nothing more than; the promise that the brand provides for consumers.

One of the famous examples of a brand promise is “Nike – Just do it”.

YOUNG

PEOPLE

YOUNG

PEOPLE

generation einstein

To see the lack of influence that the real world has on the youth market, all you have to do is walk around shopping areas and listen to the sound of cash registers when youngsters strike their chances to purchase things that are “cool”. While most adults try to scrape together enough money to get through each month, the young shop till they drop and they shop just for themselves. They spend for all that they are worth, buying famous and popular brands like Adidas, Nike, Bjorn Borg, Dakine, Lacoste and Converse. We may wonder where they get the energy or money from, but if you’re working in the marketing or design business, all you need to know is how to get their attention. What is the youth like these days, what fascinates them, what keeps them coming for more? (Osgerby, 2004)

GENERATION EINSTEIN

The current generation of young people of the 21st century is called “Generation Einstein”. This is the first generation of young people since the World War II with positive qualities; they are social minded, co-operative, bright and involved with society. Big historical events make an enormous mark on people in their formative years of adolescence. “The silent generation” was strongly shaped by the World War II,

“the baby boom generation” came forth by the social revolution in the 60’s and “generation X” is created by the economic crisis in the ‘80s.

Next are described some differences among the characteristics of the three newest generations

Generation Einstein, the youth of today is growing up in a continuously commercialized information society, also known as the “24/7 information society”.

This generation has changed beyond all recognition.

With the influence of new technology and the invention of the Internet, desktop computers and the current media, the youth took a big step forward and became smarter, social and faster.

(Boschma, Groen, 2007)

THE INTERNET

THE INTERNET

The youth which grew up in the internet age have access to information anywhere, anytime and in any place they desire. This conveys major changes:

The end of knowledge monopolies – With so much information available no one can claim to have a monopoly on the truth. The media has changed; newspapers and books (printed media) used to be true, but not anymore. Today’s media no longer has authorities on knowledge, everything given by the media is just one of the sources.

The different way of processing information – Young people are now processing information non-linearly, just like the Internet is. They have no problem going through an information overload. They know exactly what is relevant to them and so they pick out specific information because they know there is more information available than they can learn.

The change in role of the computer – The computer has changed from a typewriter to a social machine.

The youth can contact others without country boundaries and profile themselves via chat platforms and social community websites.

The corresponding unique power given to young people – They can express and share their opinions through weblogs, chat and join forces to make companies and brands fail or become popular. (Boschma, Groen, 2007)

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“MEDIA”

Designed by Omer Malak

NEW MEDIA & COMMUNICATION

NEW MEDIA & VISUAL DESIGN

Young people are very attracted to media, just like adults. They make extensive use of various media platforms and channels: television, the Internet, print media and radio. However, adults experience media differently from the youth. Even when they watch the exact same media as adults do, they will bend the experience by attaching their own function and meaning to a certain media. Adults look at media with a technical point of view, while young people look at media with an emotional perspective. For example, adults look at a type of vehicle (medium) on the basis of technical possibilities (properties, costs, function), whereas for young people the technical function is subordinate to the emotional meaning of a type vehicle (what can you do with it, why this vehicle, what’s its use).

With this in mind, we have to make rearrangements in our media strategies. Because the youth are focused on the emotional meanings of media types, there is no standard that can be designed for them. They’ll choose their own media, whether it’s specifically made for them or not; they will put their own meaning and experience to it. So if we want to reach them successfully through media, we need to concentrate on the emotional aspects; the message and meaning needs to be the core of the media type.

(Boschma, Groen, 2007)

The transformative possibilities of media are in the hands of young people. With the development of ba- sic media materials like visuals, content, typography, website design and digital constructions we offer interesting opportunities for young participants to become media makers themselves. The combination of various media types enabled young people to cre- atively build media for their own personal interests.

(Asthana, 2008)

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

Why do we communicate with young people? For one, we want to sell them something. Generation Einstein has more money to spend then its previous generations. They spend money on things like mobile phones, gadgets, cars, clothing, games, presents, clubs and food. The youth not only like to buy things for themselves, but they also have a big influence on their parents. This is why many companies often use young people as a target group to create new products, even if the service that companies deliver is not always directly relevant to them.

The second reason why we communicate with the youth is because we like to shape their opinions.

The youth is the future, that’s why we want to influ- ence their opinions when they’re making impor- tant decisions. They are right in the middle of their impressionable years; companies, schools and other organizations are making their moves. While young people are forming their own identity, they consider a large number of ideas. Therefore it is best to get their attention as early as possible. Also, adults want to influence the youth on their behavior. (Boschma, Groen, 2008)

Young people are potential employees, they “want to roll into work with their iPods and flipflops around noon, but still be CEO of the company” (The Dillen- schneider Group Inc, 2008). In order for companies to stay competitive in the future, they must understand this and find ways to attract, motivate and retain these well educated and highly opinionated, yet inexperienced employees.

Successful communicators with Generation Einstein set blogs, text messages, email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Podcasts and other electronic media tools to hand out their messages. Some of these vehicles (medium types) might be unfamiliar or intimidating, but in reality these devices offer new and exciting ways to quickly convey a message to the youth.

About 30% of organizations expect that social media tools will significantly degrade costumer service costs in the future. Also, 58% of organizations recognize that using the web and its vehicles to partner with costumers, including the youth, will have a very posi- tive impact on their business. (The Dillenschneider Group Inc, 2008)

CONCLUSION

In this chapter we’ve learned that Generation Einstein is the new generation of the youth. They are born in an era influenced by the Internet, media and new technology. With the power of Internet they can express their opinions and share their thoughts with the world. There is far more information available for them, than they can acknowledge. They are living in a 24/7 information society.

Young people are very impressionable and they look differently at the media then adults do.

With an emotional point of view, companies need to rearrange their media strategies and take

“the meaning of a product or service” as its core. With the vulnerability of the youth, companies, schools, organizations and adults try to shape them. This is because we believe that Generation Einstein are the future of this world. Therefore many companies take interest in communicating with them to figure out how to attract them as early as possible.

case

study

case

study

nationale nederlanden in motion

The previous chapters have provided a theoretical perspective on this research. However, in this chapter a case will be presented which puts the theory into a practical view. The following case will unfold all the subjects reserved in the previous chapters. Visual design, motion graphics, a low interest brand as well as the youth will be a part of this research. For the purpose of this case, we will strengthen a low interest brand with the power of motion graphics dedicated to young people.

CASE DESCRIPTION

NATIONALE NEDERLANDEN

Nationale-Nederlanden is one of the most famous and largest Dutch insurance companies. With 5 million companies and private individual customers they outrun other insurance companies with their leading position in the market. They have over 6 thousand specialists and employees who are dedicated and involved in this insurance company.

With the help of qualified and professional workers, good products and the balance between price and quality enables Nationale-Nederlanden to provide the best solution for their customers.

In 1963, Nationale-Nederlanden signed a fusion contract between two companies named “De Nederlanden” and “De Nationale”. With this contract they settled their first headquarters in Rotterdam and slowly evolved into a larger company over the years.

Nationale-Nederlanden has a strong infrastructure with nine Directors and Land Friese as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

As a brand, Nationale-Nederlanden has a strong opinion about the Netherlands and its safety.

Therefore, their mission statement “The authority in every insurance-type” and brand promise “Whatever happens” reveals itself in every campaign or message they convey towards the Netherlands and its customers. (Nationale-Nederlanden, 2010)