Introduction
Logos, type and colour usually get detailed guidelines. Motion rarely does, so every video, app screen and social post moves in its own way. Yet movement is part of your brand voice. Here are the principles we use to give brands a motion language that feels consistent everywhere.
Define your motion in four steps
You do not need a long document. A few clear decisions will cover most of what your team makes.
Choose a personality
Pick two or three words for how your brand moves: calm and precise, or bold and playful.
Set the pace
Choose one easing curve and two durations, one for small changes and one for big ones. Use them everywhere.
Design a signature
Create one transition or logo move that only your brand uses. It becomes recognisable fast.
Document with examples
Show short clips of each rule in use. People copy examples far more reliably than written specs.
Move with purpose
Good motion explains what is happening. Bad motion just decorates the screen and slows people down.
- Guide attention. Use movement to show where to look next, not to make everything move at once.
- Show relationships. Let elements grow from the thing that triggered them so changes feel connected.
- Respect the viewer. Keep motion short and offer reduced motion for people who need it.
Make it easy to reuse
Turn your principles into templates for the video and design tools your team already uses. The easier the system is to use, the more consistent your brand will feel.
How your brand moves says as much as how it looks.
Conclusion
Motion principles do not need to be complicated. Pick a personality, set a pace, design one signature move and share real examples. Your brand will feel more like itself everywhere it appears.
