Elon Students Explore Motion Design at AIGA Workshop

At Elon's AIGA After Effects Workshop, students had the opportunity to explore the art of motion design through a hands-on animation session. The session introduced students to Adobe After Effects through a creative, Halloween-themed project that incorporated playful, spooky visuals. It was a fun way to explore new design techniques while learning the fundamentals of motion and animation using After Effects. 


Throughout the session, students learned how to bring flat designs to life. They animated eyeballs that bobbed and looked around, made liquid slosh come to life using the Warp Wave effect, and created bubbles that floated and popped at the top of the jar. Using the Puppet Warp tool, students also made a poison tag gently sway and added a final touch of candle flames flickering. 


Beyond technical skills, the workshop provided a glimpse into the collaborative and fast-paced nature of professional design environments. Students helped one another troubleshooting effects, similar to how creative teams work in the real world. Delaney, the event's host, guided students step-by-step while encouraging them to explore freely. Her welcoming attitude and teaching style made the process engaging and unintimidating, especially for those new to motion graphics.She allowed students to fasten or slow down effects as they wished and what they thought worked best for them. She emphasized how each motion, rotation, and timing adjustment showed how small detail can fully transform an illustration into a full on story. 


Events like this highlight how AIGA Elon fosters a welcoming learning environment within the design community. The organization not only focuses on technical skill-building but also on empowering students to think like designers and experimenting with their own visual voice.By giving students the space to experiment, have fun, and grow, the organization encourages them to develop skills that extend beyond the classroom.


Keywords: AIGA Elon, After Effects, Motion Design, Design, Workshops




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