Motion Type Project | Neocha – Culture & Creativity in Asia

With the advent of digital media, motion graphic design’s role in the dissemination of information is becoming even more important. By using a combination of animated images, text, and other dynamic elements, motion graphics help convey information in an easily digestible and visually engaging way. But despite the ubiquity of motion graphics today, most projects rely on the Latin alphabet and relatively few projects with Chinese characters even exist.

Due to the complex nature of Chinese script – where shape, sound, and meaning are interwoven into each character – design guidelines tailored for Western script aren’t suitable for the Chinese written language.

To help Chinese-speaking designers reconsider the possibilities of Chinese motion design, Taiwanese designer and creative director of Studio 411 Ting-An He created Motion Type Project. The project, which was showcased via a series of exhibition, highlights how a Chinese character’s square-block limitations, strokes, and polysemous nature can be reimagined as moving text. The innovative project went on to take Best Design at the 2017 Golden Pin Design Award.

随着数字媒体的发展，动态图文设计也逐渐扮演起资讯图像传播的重要角色。通过文字、图画和动态元素的结合，动态图文帮助传达更易于理解的视觉资讯。然而到目前为止，在多数动态图文的著名案例中，都以西文字体为主，很少见到特别针对中文动态设计做探讨的相关实验创作。

中文的造字系统和书写方式，与西文的拉丁字母有多处不同，其“形音义”能够相互结合。若套用西文动态设计的方法，则未必全然合适。

为了帮助中文设计师重新思考汉字动态设计的可能性，来自台湾的汉字动态专案的设计师何庭安、台北市411影像工作室的创意总监，借此发展出《汉字动态专案》，并举办了一系列大规模的动态设计实验巡迴展览，呈现汉字所独有的横竖撇捺、复杂笔画、方正结构、一字多义等特性。

《汉字动态专案》就是为完全从中文字出发创作的动态设计展览，荣获了 2017 年金点设计奖年度最佳设计奖。

Dōng (or 东 in simplified Chinese) translates to "east."

Zhù (or 筑) translates to "build."

Yóu (油) translates to "oil."

Shuǐ (水) translates to "water."

“Soon after Motion Type Project was launched, a large number of Chinese graphic and motion designers responded,” Ting-An He tells us, beaming with pride. “It created a more experimental and boldly creative atmosphere around motion design and typography in the region. Although many people will imitate or plagiarize our work, I have long dreamed of seeing this scene come to life in the graphic design industry.”

“在专案上线后不久，涌现了大量同样使用中文的平面与动态设计师同业们，他们也引发了对于字体的动态设计更加实验、大胆的创作风气。虽然有不少人将之认定为模仿或抄袭，但这反而是我对于平面设计界期待已久、极度乐见的景况。”何庭安如是说。