Motion Graphics vs Graphic Design: What’s the Difference?

Motion Graphics vs Graphic Design: What’s the Difference?

Both motion graphics & graphic design are a form of visual art. Businesses use both of these techniques to effectively communicate their message to the public to create a positive impression in their minds.

Good graphics do make a difference, which is why every successful business uses them. In this article, we’re comparing motion graphics vs graphic design. But first, let’s understand both these concepts clearly before we begin.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is the art of planning & portraying brand ideas & messages to the public by using visual & textual content. Basically, graphic design is used to communicate ideas via visuals. 

Graphic designs are widely used in advertisements, websites, logos, social media posts, etc. They help a business create an identity through branding. 

The primary goals of graphic design are to attract, inform & inspire people to convert them into customers. When used right, it can yield amazing ROI.  

Popular software used by graphic designers:

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe XD
  • CorelDraw

What is Motion Graphics?

Motion graphics are animation, but they also use text as a major element. Basically, it’s an animated graphic design. Often combined with audio in multimedia projects, motion graphics are an excellent choice for creating life into static images. 

Motion graphics, like normal graphics, are used for effectively communicating ideas to the general public. This dynamic style of graphics hook & entertain users & has been trending for the past few years. 

Popular software used by Motion Graphic Designers:

  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Premier Pro
  • Adobe Animate

Motion Graphics vs Graphic Design

Now that you’ve got the gist of what motion graphics & graphic designs are. Let’s further elaborate on the similarities & differences between them. 

Graphic DesignMotion Graphics
Traditional styleModern style
Static imagesDynamic images
No audioCan include audio
Takes lesser time than Motion GraphicsTakes more time than Graphic Design
Used to portray brand ideasUsed to portray brand ideas
Uses images & textsUses images & texts

Differences

The biggest difference between motion graphics & graphic designs is that the former uses animation while the latter doesn’t. Graphic designers use still images, while motion graphic designers use movement to portray their message. 

Similarities

Both motion graphics & graphic designs are visually created graphics to inform, persuade & attract users. In fact, motion graphics is a subcategory of graphic design itself. Designers in both careers use various(often similar) software to create graphics. 

As mentioned previously in this article, both motion graphics & graphic designs are used for the same purpose of attracting, informing & converting people into customers. Businesses use both these styles to enhance their business creatives for maximum sales. 

Wrapping it Up

It’s completely up to the business which styles to opt for. We suggest incorporating both of them as they have varied use in varied situations. Both motion graphics & graphic designs are amazing for attracting users toward your brand & increasing sales.

We suggest you check out Draftss, which is an UNLIMITED subscription-based service. These services include graphic designs, motion graphics, illustrations, UI design, etc. 

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Amin Memon

Co-Founder at Draftss.com & Abun.com. Proficient at leading cross-functional teams, managing multiple projects simultaneously, developing creative ideas and Marketing that work to help solve problems and build lasting brands across all channels.

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