Inside Wolff Olins: Yiting Nan on Motion Design

Hey Yiting! Can you tell us about your role at Wolff Olins – and what led you into the world of motion design?

I’m a motion designer – part of the core design team but also a motion specialist. I work across brand systems, identities, and campaigns to bring brands to life through movement. Just like typography or colour, motion is another dial we use to express strategy and define a brand's unique behaviour. It’s flexible, adaptive, and multifaceted.

I’ve loved drawing since I was a kid and even listed “designer” as my dream job in middle school. But as a graphic design student at SVA, I didn’t discover motion graphics until my sophomore year. In junior year, I took a motion class and instantly fell in love with the process. That’s when I realised design, illustration, and animation could all come together in one space. My personal motion work leans more illustrative, but my background in graphic design makes me feel right at home in the branding world at Wolff Olins, where motion can make a brand identity feel alive and expressive.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are the same, which is part of what I love about the job! Most days start in After Effects, though depending on the phase, I also sketch ideas or build slides in Figma. I collaborate closely with creative directors and designers, and occasionally with strategists too.

I spend most of my time exploring motion behaviours based on the brand strategy and the designs created by our team. In earlier phases, when things are still evolving, I often have more room to test and experiment. Sometimes those motion explorations can spark ideas on the designers’ side in return. Depending on the specific needs and intent, there’s a wide range of elements to animate – from smaller but essential assets like logos, type, and layout, to building full motion systems that define how everything moves.

How do you ensure motion stays meaningful to the brands you’re working on?

For me, motion is never just decoration or an afterthought. It’s a tool for expressing a brand’s personality and values. We spend a lot of time aligning on concept and intent before anything starts moving, which helps ensure the work stays rooted in the brand’s purpose and strategy.

I always begin by understanding the core idea behind the brand – its energy, tone, and behaviour. From there, I think about how motion can extend that idea. Should it feel calm or expressive? Does it build gradually or snap into place? I love when the motion behaviour mirrors the brand’s strategic thinking, so that every movement feels intentional rather than arbitrary.

What’s a trend, shift or emerging tool in motion design that’s exciting you right now?

I’m not particularly drawn to trends. In design, “trendy” often suggests something that catches on quickly but fades just as fast.

Speaking of emerging tools, I’ve been intrigued by Cavalry, a 2D motion software that some of my motion friends have been experimenting with. It uses a procedural, node-based workflow, which allows for a more modular and system-driven way of animating. The work created with it often feels graphical and mechanical in a compelling way.

More broadly, I’m excited by how motion is becoming embedded in everyday life. It’s everywhere now: on our phones, in the subway, across public screens and digital interfaces. Even when people aren’t aware of it as a discipline, motion is shaping how they experience the world.

Where do you see motion design heading in the next 5-10 years – and how do you think AI will shape that future?

Motion is exploding right now – every client wants their brand to move. Design studios and agencies are incorporating motion into the heart of their process to create work that’s more immersive and expressive. But with that growth, I think we’re also at risk of overuse, applying motion where it doesn’t serve a purpose or overwhelms the message.

The future will be about balance: using motion strategically, but also building it into brand systems in a way that’s thoughtful, flexible, and consistent. As for AI, I think it might open up new possibilities for iteration and exploration – but the human eye and taste will still be essential for creating work that feels emotionally intelligent.

What advice would you give to motion designers just starting out in their careers?

Start small and stay curious. You don’t need to know every technique – and you never will. Softwares and tools will keep evolving, but what really matters is your mindset: the ability to imagine how something static can move.

Be open to learning new techniques when needed, study timing and rhythm, and pay attention to how movement makes people feel. And when you begin working in teams, learn to communicate your ideas clearly and advocate for motion as part of the creative process.

And finally – what’s one change you’d love to see in the motion industry?

I’d love to see motion design recognised as a core part of branding – not just a final execution layer, but something that’s integrated across the entire design system. Motion has the power to shape how a brand feels, communicates, and connects with people. It can express tone, personality, and behaviour in ways that static design alone can’t, especially in today’s world. It deserves a seat at the table from the very beginning as a fundamental part of building a brand.