👁️ The 1️⃣ thing AI won’t replace, and we know that for sure ⤵️
And building a solid Motion Design foundation
You, like me, even when we care or not, have found ourselves surrounded by the ‘AI’ term all over.
Being from people excited about it, others complaining, and companies making decisions around it.
Hard to avoid the feeling that it’s a wave getting bigger over time.
So I had put some thought into it and wanted to share it with you below.
P.S. (This might be a slighter longer post, but well, it’s a big topic).
So let’s dive right in 🌊
Artificial Intelligence is one of those terms that starts as one thing and has been derailed into this trendy concept, which makes us think more about companies and challenges, rather than the technology itself.
To put it as Wikipedia says:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making.
So we have it defined there, but what we think today when we think in AI?
Probably, in our field, it’s more about ChatGPT, generating visuals, people stealing work without mentioning it, companies taking data from all of us, mixed with the constant feeling that it’s taking over our work and practice.
And it’s not that we don’t have a reason to think that.
But, thinking on this, has also made me think, what we talk about when we talk of design?
As I’ve found in The Graphic Design Bible, by Theo Inglis:
“Design is the method of putting form and content together. Design, like art, has many definitions; there’s no single definition. Design can be art, design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it’s so complicated.” (Paul Rand)
Automation and artificial intelligence have started a debate about the future of creative work… There is no doubt of that.
Algorithms can generate visuals, suggest layouts, automate animations. But you can hear a common phrase here and there: the fundamentals of art and design are more important now than ever.
AI can accelerate production, but it cannot replace the creator’s basic knowledge.
“Of course we are judged and paid for what we do, but without the why and the how, graphic design wouldn’t exist. If the role of the designer is reduced to replicating what already exists and creating images without understanding or reasoning them, we will quickly fall into obsolescence.” The Graphic Design Bible, by Theo Inglis
So, what are these ‘fundamentals’?
(And how to practice them below ⬇️)
📚 Fundamentals of Graphic Design
The origins of that might come from the first symbols that humans started to use to communicate.
But if we fast-forward to the XX century. There was an institution that became a reference in expanding the formal education of visual communication: the Bauhaus.
The Bauhaus began formally teaching a foundation for any creator, whether applied design or fine arts.
The initial course (‘Preliminary Course’) taught color and form theory, principles of composition, material studies, life drawing exercises, and visual analysis.
They started with this Preliminary Course before diving into more specific ‘Workshops’, that were divided mostly by the craft they were going deeper into. Gropius, original fundator of the Bauhaus, also believed that these skills from the Preliminary Course were at the serve of the workshop, actually the whole school was ‘serving’ the workshops, where people actually develop their practice.
Even to this day, graphic design students begin their path with exercises in color harmony, typography, Gestalt principles, and compositional grids, among other things, having a strong influence in how the Bauhaus structured their learning.
But if we talk about Motion Design, and considering this mix between graphic design and animation. The timeline, having our elements moving along time, introduces other fundamentals. We can add filmmaking principles here, but in this case I will expand on:
✏️ The fundamentals of animation
The ‘principles of animation’ it’s a term that come from Disney.
The first time they were written was in the book The Illusion of Life by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas.
They talk about techniques like squash & stretch, easing (acceleration and deceleration), anticipation, follow-through, etc… concepts that, applied within its context generate an impact on the viewer, because of how we perceive things in motion, because of the ideas we already have in mind of physics, reactions.
Maybe the programs we use today will still exist 20 years from now, maybe not. It’s interesting to pay attention to what tools emerge and what they can serve us for, but it doesn’t mean we have to immerse ourselves in them 100%.
Tools are software, the important thing is what we do with them.
At the end, we have to remember that we create things for humans, and having the context, the criteria, the feelings, it is, in some way, our stronghold of humanism to create better things, for us.
📝 How to actually practice this?
+ A new thing I’m testing
As designers, it’s easy to buy courses full of valuable information, but many times it’s hard to put it into practice.
For the past year I’ve been running a few workshops on creating a personal project, that now had a bit over 25 humans from different parts of the world putting their time and effort creating stuff.
One pattern I saw on my own practice and from the people participating in the workshops is that we tend to aim to high, and fail on execution.
So starting by taking our practice like the gym, it can be a way, if we feel stagnant in our creative exercise.
So, if you feel like closing this and just going straight away back into that practice, try this:
Get some reliable sources
Book: Graphic Design For Everyone: Understand the Building Blocks so You can Do It Yourself
Video: 12 Principles of AnimationMap the time you have this week and just execute on it
And with all that in mind, I want to test something new.
That’s why I’m creating The Practice File.
Starting with, the Practice File 🧰
Every month we will have:
1️⃣ A monthly post with an assignment based on fundamentals, with examples and resources.
2️⃣ A group channel where everyone can show their work, get comments from others, and improve.
3️⃣ You will receive a reminder a few weeks after the post to keep you accountable of your practice.
3️⃣ By the end of every month I will compile the work done in the group. That way we collectively build a practice journal.
The group starts in June and it will cost 9€/month.
Want to know how to get in?
👉 Use the button to Leave a comment below and you will be the first to know when it’s releasing (spoiler, it’s in a week or so 😊).
Want a month for free?
Everyone referring 3 friends (that subscribe with the button below) will get the first month for free 🆓.
📚 Sources used on this issue
Diseño Gráfico: La Guía Definitiva del Diseño Gráfico Contemporáneo y su Historia, Theo Inglis, Editorial Blume (2024)
Another interesting find: “For example, Method Studios used generative AI in a workflow for Marvel, but they commented: ‘AI is just one more tool in the toolkit that artists use. No jobs were replaced; it complemented and assisted our creative teams.’” -
Thanks for writing about this. I think it's super important to be aware of what's happening with AI and animation (and motion design). I agree that knowing the fundamentals, knowing WHY you're designing something that way, does a long way to keeping your work human
Interested