Graphic designers and animators work in the same field, meaning that it’s easy, and often, that people mix the two up. Although graphic designers and animators are the same in the sense that they both have the responsibility of working with a client to help them inform or entertain their audience, they aren’t the same.
However, despite the similarities between the two, graphic design and animation are not the same and graphic designers and animators do not have the same job. Although lines tend to get blurred in this aspect, we’re here to show you the differences between the two.
Animator
First, let’s take a look at the job of an animator. Depending on the client’s needs and vision, animators create different forms of animation. Animators work to create animation for video games, movies, and other forms of media. Animators work through storyboards to get a clear vision of what the client is looking for and use illustrations that they create to create the animation for the client.
Animators need to have strong computer skills and artistic abilities to complete jobs. They’ll need to have communication skills and be able to change their animation based on feedback from the client. Sometimes it’ll be necessary for them to work as part of a team and they’ll be expected to meet deadlines.
Graphic Designer
The main difference between an animator and graphic designer is what they create. Animators work to give clients animation for entertainment purposes, while graphic designers work to provide clients with marketing material. Graphic designers do this by creating a layout for the client that will help them sell their product. Their designs help the client display what they sell.
Graphic design involves a variety of different fields that graphic designers are talented in. Graphic designers will usually work one on one with the company’s marketing team or business owner to be able to convey what the company is and what they’re offering. Designers need to have communication skills and will typically work in a studio or office where they can have space to work on projects.
When To Use Animation and When To Use Graphic Designer
If you’re in the business industry and wondering what’s better for your marketing efforts, animation, or graphic design, then it can be a tough decision. It’s no secret that people love videos; they work to grab consumer’s attention and you’ll usually be able to put more info into a video than your typical design.
Although in marketing aspects, typically, you use graphic design, animation can be a powerful tool when it comes to the marketing industry if used right.
Do you want to connect with your audience on an emotional level? Provide a narrative? You should consider using animation. Animation can work great to connect with your audience and hold their attention. It can be used to draw emotion and portray a vulnerable side to your company that you may not be able to do if using graphic design.
On the other hand, if you’re creating marketing material that simply displays your business, you may want to lean towards graphic design. Sometimes a simple and classy graphic can portray your company in a way that animation won’t be able to. You’ll want to hire a designer for your marketing needs such as brochures, logos, and minor updates to designs.
The decision of whether you should use graphic design or animation will heavily depend on your company and your marketing strategy.
If your marketing strategy works through connecting with your audience on an emotional level, then animation may be the way to go for your company. Maybe you’ll find that your company needs to use a mix of the two to properly display your brand. Every company is different and flexibility is needed.
