How do you design a brand that moves with culture?In this episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon sits down with Stu Tallis, Creative Director at Taxi Studio, to unpack the motion strategy behind FlowFest - the world’s biggest reggaeton festival - and how motion design brings brands to life emotionally, rhythmically, and globally.Stu shares behind-the-scenes insights from work on Coca-Cola, YOLOH insurance, and his thoughts on what today’s brands are getting wrong about visual identity systems.🎥 Topics Covered:• FlowFest & reggaeton: building brands with rhythm• How motion shifts brand perception across cultures• Using characters & motion to demystify complexities in insurance (YOLOH)• What designers can learn from music, dance & street culture• Studio culture & their new Bristol home🔗 Explore Taxi Studio: https://taxistudio.co.uk00:00 – Intro: Motion, culture, and crafting identities that move 03:42 – FlowFest: Designing a motion-first identity for 200K+ reggaeton fans 07:10 – From masculinity to vibrancy: how reggaeton’s evolution shaped the brand 09:48 – Motion principles: rhythm, music, and expressive story systems 13:55 – YOLOH insurance: using a hand-animated mascot to simplify complex UX 18:02 – Why playful motion builds trust in stressful categories (like finance) 20:30 – What brands get wrong about motion in global markets 24:20 – Working with creative energy, not against it 27:40 – Letting motion lead: how Taxi builds brands from behaviour up 30:52 – Final thoughts: future culture, optimism, and play#branding #motiondesign #culturalbranding #monthsInMotion #taxistudio #visualidentity #flowfest #brandstrategy #motiongraphics

What happens when motion isn’t an afterthought, but a foundation?

In this edition of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon and Jack Last sit down with Jan Stein and Paul Watmough-Halim from Hyperfocus, a Hamburg-based brand studio turning heads with emotionally rich, behavior-led design systems.

The duo dive into how motion elevates storytelling, how studios can stand out in a sea of sameness, and why craft and imperfection may be branding’s next big rebellion.

🎥 Topics covered:

• Why motion should be baked into every brand system

• How to balance functional motion vs expressive storytelling

• The “DAYY” case and designing time with gradient systems

• Smart use of AI: enhancing stories, not replacing teams

• Why the design world needs to break away from mockup templates and sameness

• Favourite studios, tools (Cavalry, Rive), and upcoming projects

🔗 Visit Hyperfocus: https://hyperfocus.cc

📺 Subscribe to their channel: https://youtube.com/@the.brandreview

(00:00) – Intro: Motion-led branding and why Hyperfocus bakes it in

(04:01) – Why studios should never ask “Do you want motion?”

(07:52) – Motion as tone of voice & emotional storytelling

(09:57) – Character and cel animation: Tripadvisor, Mailchimp, Notion AI

(13:12) – Functional vs expressive motion — and why both can be beautiful

(16:45) – The DAYY case: using motion to visualize time and space

(21:32) – Tools of the trade: Rive, Cavalry, Figma & evolving workflows

(25:11) – Challenging sameness: mockup fatigue and brand bento backlash

(30:01) – Craft over trends: imperfection, AI, and the return to human touch

(35:40) – AI in practice: how Hyperfocus blends generated media into real work

(44:53) – What’s next: motion-heavy cases, YouTube growth, and brand talks

#branding #motiondesign #typography #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling

In this June edition of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon speaks with Cat How (CEO/ECD) and Eilidh (Senior Creative) from How&How - the branding studio behind award-winning projects like Wild Things and The Wombles.

🎥 Topics Covered:

• Motion design as mood + narrative

• Branding for environmental & social impact

• Behind-the-scenes on Wild Things, Chester Zoo & more

• Crafting future-forward identities rooted in character

• Gender equity, pay transparency & clean creative practices

👀 If you're into design systems, creative direction, or character animation in branding - this one's for you.

🔗 Explore the work: https://www.how.studio)

(0:00) - Welcome and Guest Introductions (1:29) - Wild Things Project: Vee's Moods and Personas (7:53) - Revitalising The Wombles: A Dream Project (17:53) - Purpose-Driven Design and Environmental Storytelling (22:23) - Digitising Nature: Chester Zoo Project (27:26) - Yango Maps: Playing with Visual Perspectives and Travel (30:57) - Advocating for Change in the Industry: Pay Transparency & Clean Creatives (34:02) - What's Next for How&How Studio (39:08) - A "Surreal Turn" and Final Thoughts

#branding #motiondesign #howandhow #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling #characterdesign

Lisa Smith (Global ECD at JKR) breaks down the branding strategy behind the D&AD 2025 identity - from motion design to storytelling.

In this conversation, we explore her creative process with Studio DRAMA and how world-class branding comes to life.

From deep strategy to bold creative execution, Lisa shares how collaboration, character, and craft converge in her projects - focusing on their latest venture with Studio DRAMA for D&AD Festival 2025.

👀 A must-watch for anyone working in branding, design, or creative direction.

🔗 Check out Jones Knowle Ritchie: https://www.jkrglobal.com/

🔗 Check out Studio DRAMA: https://studio-drama.com/

(00:00) – Welcome & Introduction

(03:01) – How Lisa connected with Studio DRAMA

(08:00) – D&AD Collaboration

(12:32) – Working with motion design

(15:01) – Humor, playfulness, and intentional storytelling

(18:01) – Cultural sensitivity and working globally

(19:19) – Imagery in motion design

(23:12) – Designing an event for creatives

(25:27) – How JKR and DRAMA left their unique mark on the project

(27:18) – How Dumbo inspired the motion films

(32:24) – The importance of sound design

(35:24) – What’s next?

#branding #motiondesign #jkr #jonesknowleritchie #lisasmith #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling

Motion is no longer an afterthought - it’s shaping the future of branding.

In this episode, Jimmy Gordon sits down with Santiago Avila, Motion Director at Koto, to unpack how motion design transforms brand systems, from Amazon’s overhaul to Deezer’s soundwave identity and Microsoft’s voxel nostalgia.

You’ll hear insights into the strategic role of motion, toolkit creation for global teams, and advice for young designers entering a hybrid creative world.

🎥 Key topics:

• Motion strategy in branding systems

• Case studies: Deezer, Amazon, Microsoft

• Static vs dynamic identity systems

• Designing scalable motion toolkits

• Advice for T-shaped creatives

🔗 Explore Koto: https://www.koto.studio📚

Get free resources from Seasoned: https://seasoned.koto.studio

(00:00) – Intro: From Argentina to Koto

(02:00) – Why motion branding matters more than ever

(04:30) – The rise of visual systems across screens

(08:00) – Why motion must be in brand strategy from day one

(13:10) – Case study: Deezer – Emotion through motion

(18:30) – Case study: Amazon – Balancing charm with UX clarity

(25:10) – Toolkits & onboarding in-house design teams

(30:30) – Case study: Microsoft’s 50th anniversary – Voxels, nostalgia & future vision

(34:40) – Advice for aspiring motion & brand designers

(37:50) – Free creative resources: Seasoned by Koto

(40:00) – What’s next for Koto? Closing thoughts

#motionbranding #koto #brandingstrategy #motiondesign #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #designsystems #santiagoavila

Motion is no longer an afterthought - it’s now the language of branding.

In this kickoff episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon sits down with design legend Brian Collins (CCO & Co-Founder, COLLINS) to explore why motion design is becoming the craft of brand behavior - and how rhythm, story, and surprise make a brand move people.

🎥 In this episode:

• The shift from static design to motion-first identity

• San Francisco Symphony & Freeform case studies

• Chuck Jones, Wile E. Coyote & design timing

• Why AI raises the stakes for creative excellence

• Creating systems that evolve, not restrict

🌐 Explore COLLINS: https://www.wearecollins.com/

(00:00) Introductions(02:10) Motion as the New Design Languange(07:00) Timing, Rhythm, and the Road Runner Effect(11:00) Filmmaking, Sound, and AI(13:13) San Francisco Symphony Case Study(20:03) Rejecting the “Timeless” Myth(22:42) Design Systems as Creative Tools(25:38) Part 2 Interlude(27:10) Stretching Helvetica with Disney Freeform(37:00) AI & the Future of Design(44:25) History of Design and How it Influences Us(48:40) What's next for COLLINS?(52:20) Outro

#branding #motiondesign #collins #briancollins #typography #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling