Animated Logo - Best Practices



Defined by the digital product company, Envato, logo animation "is the process of adding motion to a logo design" that "move, morph, and provide an interactive experience for the viewer" (Williams, 2024). Envato is an online database for marketing assets and communication materials. They have hundreds of designs and a broad "library of high-quality, creative assets — video, audio, photos, graphics, templates..."(Williams, 2024).  

From their expansive design expertise, an Envato publication provides a thorough investigation into the strategies behind animated logos and how they can act as powerful attention-grabbers. 

To begin, the article covers best practices for deciding when its appropriate to animate a logo. For example, an artist must achieve balance when enhancing a brand and evaluate the level of visual interest already covered. A logo with loud colors, shapes, and a complex story might not be the best candidate for a strong animation because adding elements would cause over-stimulation and push viewers away. Simple, concise, and sharp logo-animation pairings have the most success!

Additionally, Envato provides a list of the five most important characteristics of effective animated logos. The first is "easing" the speed of the animation (Williams, 2024). Here, the goal is to represent real movement and physics through the animation so that the speed and intensity will not be stagnant. Different moments of push and pull as the graphics move are necessary to achieve realism.

Secondly, Envato also recommends portraying the brand's story through its logo animation. Consider the mission of the organization and brainstorm how it can be represented through movement. This information is specifically impactful to my DAT Capstone project because it solidifies my need to showcase Americana's mission: assisting immigrants and refugees, creating a loving, inclusive community, and providing educational, bonding experiences for children. Placing this story at the forefront of my animation will act as a guide as I begin to outline my vision.

Another best practice for logo animation includes keeping the clip 10 seconds or less as well as identifiable with the organization's original branding. This will allow the animation to resonate with the company's audience and keep viewers engaged. 

Furthermore, the article also outlined the different types of simple, effective, foundational animation styles: Subtle Transitions, Kinetic Typography, Morphing, and 3D Animation. 
  • Subtle Transitions are simple movements on logos with a well-defined theme. Applying this strategy has the biggest impact on complex logos or those with a solid structure; it provides the slight enhancement perfect for engaging audiences.
  • Kinetic Typography refers to animating text and giving a sense of emotion through the movement. It can draw attention to the organization name or mission and provide insight into its identity (tough, elegant, playful, etc.)
  • Morphing occurs when one image changes seamlessly into another. This style can assist with storytelling and representing the main focus of an organization.
  • 3D Animation encompasses a higher level of professionalism and realism. It animates a logo in the 3D space, placing it into the real-life plane of existence that communicates a living, interactive brand. 
These logo animation styles can be incredibly helpful when catching your audience's attention. It is also pivotal to understand industry standards to accurately evaluate which foundational style might be most appropriate for your logo. For example, this information has allowed me to focus on Subtle Transitions, as I believe it will be most useful with the visually-stimulating elements in Americana's logo. 

Finally, once a style and movement is selected, Envato encourages animators to use the appropriate platform to animate. Exporting the design in a versatile file type is also a critical detail to consider in order to maximize the animation across mediums. 

Ultimately, understanding the best practices, strategies, and basic styles of animated logos is critical to developing a successful animated logo. Especially considering my position as a first-time animator, it was extremely helpful to comprehend this article and learn what animated logo styles are standards, how I should approach my animation's story, and the animation parameters I should maintain. 


Works Cited

Williams, S. (2024, January 7). Logo Animation Tips – How to Elevate your Brand with an Animated Logo. Envato Blog. https://elements.envato.com/learn/animated-logo-tips 

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