Draft 1
I propose to experiment with the dynamic feedback mechanisms in UI animations, focusing on how different forms of motion impact user understanding and emotional response. For this experiment, I will:
- Create alternative versions of the pull-down refresh animation, testing variations such as subtle animations versus more exaggerated movements, or incorporating different visual cues like color changes or icon morphing.
- Test user interaction by observing how users engage with the different versions of the animation. I’ll compare metrics like speed, accuracy of interaction, and user satisfaction.
- Experiment with asset integration, exploring how static vector elements can be animated in After Effects while keeping the design integrity intact. I’ll test different techniques for importing Illustrator files into After Effects (such as using smart objects or layer adjustments) to see which methods result in smoother transitions and more refined animations.
Through this studio-based experiment, I aim to better understand the role of motion in UI design and to refine my ability to work across design software to produce effective, engaging user interfaces.
Draft 2
Raymond Queneau’s Exercises in Style (Queneau, 1998) is an imaginative piece that demonstrates how a single narrative can be transformed through variations in style, form, and perspective. The book presents a story retold in numerous ways, revealing how changes in language and structure shift perception. This approach provides a lens through which to analyse my project, which explores unconventional uses of Adobe After Effects by repurposing the digital animation tool beyond its intended functions, engaging in an iterative creative process that closely mirrors Queneau’s method of stylistic experimentation – using text animation as the primary visual element rather than traditional images or objects.
Queneau’s work challenges the assumption that meaning is fixed, instead dictating that “(language) must free itself from the conventions which still hem it in, (conventions of style)… and then it will soar like a butterfly” (Queneau, 1998, p. 13). My project similarly interrogates the boundaries of After Effects as a tool by subverting its traditional applications. Initially, I experimented with using the software’s mask path feature to draw, an approach that is unconventional in motion graphics but opened up new ways of thinking about digital line work, and in another iteration, I used the same mask paths to animate text following dynamic paths, reinforcing the idea that form dictates function in digital composition.
Next, I want to shift toward animating concrete poetry, an art form in which textual arrangement visually represents meaning. This step further reflected Queneau’s ideas, as concrete poetry itself plays with form to reshape linguistic interpretation. One of my key experiments will involve animating each word of a poem to appear sequentially, forming the outline of its subject – an approach that directly engages with Queneau’s notion that reconfiguring a narrative’s structure alters its reception and perhaps makes it more interesting. As Queneau suggests, “His purpose here… is a profound exploration into the possibilities of language. It is an experiment in the philosophy of language. He pushes language around in a multiplicity of directions to see what will happen” (Queneau, 1998, p. 14). By reinterpreting After Effects as a tool for poetic visualization rather than for conventional motion graphics, I expand the software’s expressive capabilities in the same way that Queneau expanded the expressive potential of a single narrative “without boring the reader at all” (Queneau, 1998, p. 15).
Viewing my project through Queneau’s lens has reinforced the importance of constraint as a creative catalyst. Just as he imposed strict stylistic parameters in Exercises in Style—from reducing the story to a mathematical sequence to reimagining it through exaggerated literary devices—I imposed the constraint of using After Effects in unintended ways. The experience has led me to consider how I might further push the boundaries of digital tools, perhaps by incorporating additional constraints such as limiting animation to a single function or creating still graphics from motion graphics.
Ultimately, Queneau’s approach has deepened my understanding of iteration and reconfiguration in creative practice, especially in my project, much like Exercises in Style, which reveals how formal variation transforms perception and makes text more exciting. By continuing to challenge the intended uses of digital tools, I aim to further explore the intersections between motion, text, and non-traditional storytelling.
ReferencesQueneau, R. (1998) Exercises in Style. London: John Calder. (Original work published 1947), pp. 13-15.
Draft 3 (text)
By translating my written analysis into an animated text piece using After Effects, I am repurposing a tool designed for motion graphics into one focused solely on text. This experiment transforms After Effects into a reading tool rather than a visual storytelling medium, emphasising text over imagery and motion.
Unlike static writing, animation controls how text is revealed, dictating pacing and engagement – words appear, move, and evolve in a structured flow, guiding the reader’s experience. This shifts the act of reading from passive absorption to an active process of decoding and interpretation. Instead of using After Effects for cinematic visuals, I use it to explore textual presence – how timing, spatial arrangement, and transition affect comprehension.
This aligns with Queneau’s Exercises in Style, where form alters perception, and just as his variations reshape a simple narrative, my animated text challenges conventional reading. The absence of traditional images reinforces that meaning emerges from structure alone by prioritising text animation over visual spectacle, and through this my project questions how digital tools can reshape the way we read, rather than just how we see.
Link to Draft 3 Animation: https://youtube.com/shorts/QHRAXtPpBtw
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