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Motion Studies

Motion studies show how components or mock-ups behave over time; they bring static states to life by showing how they behave with interaction; and they help make the relationships between parts of a design more intuitive through transitions.

When shown alongside artifacts like moodboards and gestural design, motion studies are more exploratory. These low-fidelity samples can be used to quickly iterate and to align the team. When done in the build phase, alongside flow diagrams or design guidelines, motion studies communicate specific behaviors to those implementing the design. When integrated with prototypes, motion studies can be tested with users. In all cases, motion studies can be strictly visual, or they can incorporate haptics and sound to capture how something feels over time.

Motion can be one of the most difficult aspects of a design to communicate, so even if your project doesn’t have the time or capability to create motion studies, try to convey what is meant by referencing existing examples.