Addicted to the timeline…

I have become addicted to motion graphics. When I started design school I was under the impression that design was something that could change the way people looked at the world. I still think that is true. I am constantly finding new ways to communicate the messages I am trying to send. This web site is a very good example of that idea. Olsonimages.com is my way of letting the world know what I am all about. I am sending a message about myself. I have recently become very interested in broadcast and motion graphics and how this medium communicates. In my Design Studio 2 class I created a minute long animation in Adobe After Effects that was an experiment in communication for me. I think that it was a success.I always knew that commercials were an effective form of communication but I had never really looked very hard at them in terms of design. That has all changed. As I sit in front of my computer this morning I am preparing to work on another animation project. I spent almost all day yesterday working on it and when I went to bed last night I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I love the idea that design can exist over a period of time. Design seems like an ever changing field. There are so many possibilities for someone entering the field to explore.

The idea that design can exist over a period of time is the idea that has led me to create my last project using motion graphics instead of a more traditional poster. The assignment was a poster design project but when I approached the instructor and proposed to do an animation he agreed to let me proceed. I argued that there were many ways of satisfying the design brief that he gave the class and that by exploring animation I would be able to convey the information that he intended us to, I could explore a medium that I have an interest in for some time, and that I may be able to create a more emotional connection to the information using motion and sound. The piece in the end was a series of still photos, illustrations, and type that moved through the timeline to music. Simple yet effective. You can check it out right here.

Now I am on to the next project and I find myself addicted to the timeline. I cant stop thinking about how using motion graphics works to communicate my intended message. I have spent a lot of time looking at firms like nailgun*, Brand New School, and MK12 to see how they approach their messages. These firms have become more of an inspiration to my design in the recent past than I would have ever thought. At one point in my life I was very anti advertising. That has changed. The more I learn the more I find myself changing how I think about the world. As designers we have a unique ability to help shape the world. I think that by understanding and being able to utilize a lot of different forms of communication is important. My exploration into the world of motion graphics has changed the way my design exists. It has also changed what I would like to do after school. Since I started school I have wondered exactly what it was that I wanted to do with this education. Now I know.