30 Days of Motion

Inspired by Tiantian Xu’s 100-day projects, I wanted to challenge myself to further explore After Effects by creating 30 pieces of vector-based animation in 30 days. Follow along to see my process, work, and reflection!

The Brainstorm

To provide variety in my animation subjects, I split the 30 compositions into five groups. I chose categories that I resonated with, and that provided interesting movement studies: Chinese food, landmarks, desserts, animals, and everyday objects. I wanted to highlight not only natural motions, but also add in elements of imagination and fun into this project.

The Sketches

After determining which categories I wanted my animations to fall into, I sketched movement ideas for each of the subjects that I wanted to animate. I selected more realistic motions for some animations, but also eventually brainstormed and sketched motions that added more imagination into my work. Planning the motions in advance allowed me to better manage my time each day.

The Animations

For the next 30 days, I followed each of my (thankfully) pre-brainstormed sketches to create one animation per day in After Effects, and exported each as a GIF. The completed compositions are as follows:

Days 1-6: Chinese Food

As a Chinese-American, I grew up eating unique foods that were unfamiliar to many people around me; I wanted to illustrate and appreciate the fun, interactive forms of these dishes. There are many delicious foods in Chinese cuisine, but here are a few favorites!

Days 7-12: Landmarks

Certain spots across the globe are recognized and loved for their unique silhouettes, and to experience them in person is a task on bucket lists worldwide. Capturing these scenes in just a couple of seconds made for a fun challenge.

Days 13-18: Desserts

For people of all ages, experiencing dessert items almost always includes elements of interaction and play.

Days 19-24: Animals

Everybody loves dogs and/or cats (“dogs” is the correct answer), but here are some less-frequently drawn animals that deserve our love.

Days 25-30: Everyday Objects

Here are some common household objects that normally do not receive much attention; let’s bring some life and energy into these seemingly typical gadgets.

The Reflection

One month and many podcasts later:

Aside from allowing me to further develop hard animation skills, this process demonstrated a key goal I have as a designer, for designers. Childlike wonder and sense of play often deteriorate with age, and creators have the ability to re-capture the often-unnoticed, playful moments of the human experience— to remind us to find joy in the little things.