You’ve seen motion graphics today already. The animated logo at the start of a video. The kinetic text bouncing across an advert. The animated charts in a news segment. The slick transitions in a product launch film. That’s all motion graphics: graphic design brought to life through animation.
If you’re a business owner wondering whether motion graphics could work for your marketing, this guide explains what they are, where they’re used, and how to hire someone to make them. In plain English. No design degree required.
Motion graphics, in one paragraph
Motion graphics is animation applied to graphic design elements: typography, shapes, icons, logos, charts and illustrations, set in motion to communicate an idea. Unlike character animation, which is about bringing personalities to life, motion graphics is about making information move. Emphasising a headline, visualising data, guiding the eye through a process, or giving a brand’s visual identity energy. If it looks like a designed graphic that moves with purpose, it’s motion graphics.
Motion graphics vs animation: what’s the difference?
The terms overlap and people use them interchangeably, but there’s a useful distinction:
- Animation is the broad art of making anything move: characters, stories, worlds. A cartoon, a 3D product film and an animated explainer with characters are all animation.
- Motion graphics is a subset of animation focused on graphic design elements in motion: animated text, logos, infographics and abstract visuals.
In practice, most commercial videos blend both. An explainer video might use character animation for the story and motion graphics for the transitions, titles and data visualisations. When you hire a studio, describe what you want the video to do rather than worrying about which label fits. A good studio will use the right mix. See our 2D vs 3D animation comparison for help choosing.
Where businesses actually use motion graphics
Advertising
Motion graphics are the backbone of most digital video ads. Animated text hooks viewers in the first two seconds, product shots get energy from graphic transitions, and offers land harder with kinetic emphasis. They’re also efficient. One motion graphics toolkit can generate dozens of ad variations (different headlines, offers, aspect ratios) far cheaper than reshooting live action.
Social media
Feeds reward movement. Branded motion templates (animated intros, lower thirds, quote cards, story animations) let small teams produce consistent, professional-looking social content at volume. A modest investment in a motion graphics package often pays for itself in content output within weeks.
Explainer videos
Most modern explainers are motion-graphics-driven even when they include characters. Animated icons illustrate concepts, charts visualise numbers, and transitions keep the pace snappy. If your story is about data, process or ideas rather than people, motion graphics may be all you need. See typical explainer video costs for budgeting guidance.
Presentations and internal comms
Animated slide decks, onboarding videos, training modules, investor updates. Motion graphics make information-heavy content watchable. This is an underrated use case. The same techniques that sell products also help employees actually absorb a new process.
Broadcast and events
Title sequences, event openers, stage visuals, broadcast graphics packages. If your brand appears on screens in front of audiences, motion graphics shape how professional it looks.
What do motion graphics cost?
For a 60 to 90 second custom motion graphics video from a professional studio, typical pricing falls around $2,000 to $8,000. That depends on design complexity: whether it’s built from your existing brand assets or designed from scratch, how much custom illustration is involved, and the usual factors of length, voiceover and revisions.
Ongoing motion graphics support (monthly social templates, ad variations) is often priced as a retainer, which usually works out cheaper per asset than one-off projects. If you need regular content, ask about it.
How to hire motion graphics services
Start with the portfolio, not the price. Motion graphics is a design discipline. Taste and craft vary enormously. Look for work in a style that fits your brand, and check whether the studio’s pieces communicate clearly, not just whether they look flashy. A beautiful animation that confuses the message is a failure.
Ask about process. A professional engagement includes discovery (understanding your message and audience), style frames (still designs showing the look before animation starts), storyboards and structured revision rounds. If a provider skips straight to animating, expect surprises.
Check the deliverables. Confirm what you actually receive: which formats and aspect ratios (widescreen, square, vertical), source files if you want them, and who owns the rights to the final work and its assets. Get this in writing.
Ask these five questions before you commit:
- Can you show me work similar to what I need?
- What’s included in the quote, and what costs extra?
- How many revision rounds are included?
- Who owns the final files and project assets?
- What’s the realistic timeline, and what do you need from me to hit it?
DIY vs hiring a studio
Tools like After Effects templates and online animators have made basic motion graphics accessible. For quick internal content or testing ad concepts, DIY is fine. But there’s a visible gap between templated motion graphics and custom work. Audiences can feel it even if they can’t name it. For anything customer-facing that represents your brand, professional design is worth it. A sensible middle ground: hire a studio to build a custom motion graphics toolkit (animated logo, templates, style system), then produce day-to-day variations in-house.
Frequently asked questions
What are motion graphics, in simple terms?
Motion graphics are graphic designs (text, logos, icons, charts, shapes) animated to communicate a message. Think animated adverts, moving infographics, kinetic typography and animated logo stings. It’s graphic design with the dimension of time added.
What’s the difference between motion graphics and animation?
Animation is the broader art of making things move, including characters and stories. Motion graphics is the subset focused on moving graphic design elements like text, logos and infographics. Most commercial videos use both together.
How much do motion graphics services cost?
A custom 60 to 90 second motion graphics video typically costs $2,000 to $8,000 from a professional studio, depending on design complexity, length and whether voiceover and sound design are included. Ongoing content is often cheaper on a monthly retainer.
Do I need motion graphics or a full animation studio?
If your content is text, data, branding and graphic-led storytelling, a motion graphics specialist is enough. If you need characters, narratives or 3D product work, look for a full animation studio. Many studios, including ours, do both, which keeps mixed projects under one roof.
How long does a motion graphics video take to make?
A typical 60 to 90 second piece takes 3 to 6 weeks: brief and script, style frames and storyboard, animation, then sound and revisions. Simpler template-based work can be faster. Complex custom design takes longer. Always confirm the timeline in writing before you start.
Can motion graphics help my social media marketing?
Yes. It’s one of the highest-ROI uses. A set of branded motion templates (intros, animated text overlays, quote cards) lets you publish professional-looking video content consistently without producing every post from scratch. Movement in the feed also earns more attention than static images.
Put your brand in motion
Whether you need a single animated ad or a full motion graphics system for your content, it starts with a conversation about what you’re trying to achieve. Multi Chaos Media designs and animates custom motion graphics for businesses that want their marketing to move, literally. Tell us about your project and we’ll give you an honest quote and timeline.