The Silent Problem with Brand Motion Manuals

In our last post, we explored how static branding no longer makes sense in a world where screens, formats, and experiences are constantly in motion. If your brand doesn’t move, it doesn’t feel alive.

Now let’s go a step further.

Let’s talk about what happens when brands try to move — and the frameworks we give them to do it.

The Rise of Motion Principles

Most branding systems today include what’s called Motion Principles: two or three ideas that guide how a brand should animate — words like flow, bounce, orbit, expand. These are usually based on strategy and are designed to reflect the personality of the brand through motion.

And in theory, they work. They sound smart. They look clean in the brand manual. But when it’s time to apply them… things get messy.

Real-World Frustrations

The issue isn’t the lack of strategy. The issue is execution.

Ask any content team what happens when they try to apply three abstract motion principles to daily content. You’ll hear the same thing:

• They don’t know which one to use.

• They don’t know when to use it.

• And sometimes, they can’t use it at all.

Let’s say a principle is “orbit.” Sounds cool. But in a short-form video or UI animation, “orbiting” may require 3D space, layer hierarchy, and precision timing. Not exactly plug-and-play in Canva or Figma.

So, what happens?

They default to the simplest one — usually a fade or scale — and the rest get ignored.

The result: brands with great motion strategy on paper, but lifeless or inconsistent motion in practice.

The Missing Link: Behavior

This is where we believe the model needs to evolve. Content teams don’t just need a vibe. They need behavioral definitions they can use in specific contexts.

• How does the brand-or its elements appear on screen?

• How does it respond to touch, scroll?

• What’s its rhythm? How does it move? Does it walk, run, fly, or float?

• How does it leave the scene?

These are not artistic flourishes. They’re expressions of identity — as fundamental as color, type, or tone of voice.

Because Motion Isn’t Just How Things Move

It’s how brands show emotion, intention, and presence.

In upcoming posts, I’ll share how we approach this challenge through our methodology — Living Identities — designed to help brands behave with purpose, not just move with style.