Information Design Project 2
WANG JIHENG | 0378904
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Taylor's University
GCD60504 Information Design
Semester Timeline: 24/04/2026 - 12/06/2026 (Week 1 - Week 9)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
PROJECT 2: Kinetic Typography
WEEK 6: Song Selection & Visual Direction
WEEK 7: Progress & Feedback
WEEK 8: Refinement & Final Outcome
REFLECTION
INSTRUCTIONS
For Project 2, we were required to create a kinetic typography music video using Adobe After Effects. The task was completed as a group project. Each group had to select one song, divide the lyrics into different sections, animate each assigned part individually, and then combine all sections into one final motion typography video.
The main purpose of this project was to explore how typography, timing, rhythm, movement, colour, and graphic elements can work together to communicate the mood of a song. Instead of presenting lyrics as static text, the words had to move according to the music and express the feeling of the lyrics through motion.
PROJECT 2: Kinetic Typography
Song Selected:
Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
Concept:
Our group chose this song because it has a cheerful, energetic, carefree, and youthful mood. The rhythm is upbeat and catchy, which made it suitable for kinetic typography. The song also gives a positive feeling about enjoying the moment, friendship, and having fun.
Design Direction:
The visual direction for the video was playful, bold, and energetic. We wanted the typography to feel lively and fun, so the group discussed using thick, bubbly, and expressive fonts. We also agreed that the colours should be bright and saturated so that the video could match the joyful atmosphere of the music.
My Assigned Part:
My part was Verse 2. Since this section contains fast lyrics and several actions, the main challenge was to make the words readable while still making the animation feel energetic.
WEEK 6: Song Selection & Visual Direction
At the beginning of the project, our group discussed different song choices. After voting, we selected Good Time as our final song. We then divided the song into different sections such as intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, and outro. My responsibility was Verse 2.
After the song was confirmed, we started discussing the overall visual style. We identified several keywords for the song: playful, energetic, joyful, exciting, youthful, and carefree. These keywords helped us decide the typography and motion style.
The group also discussed the importance of consistency. Since each member was animating a different section, the video could easily look disconnected if everyone used completely different fonts and colours. To avoid this, we decided to use a shared colour palette and a group of selected fonts.
The main font direction was bold and expressive. Knewave was selected as one of the main typography styles because it looked playful and matched the upbeat feeling of the song. Other fonts were used as secondary options to create variety in different lyric lines.
The colour palette used saturated and warm colours such as purple, pink, orange, and yellow. These colours helped create a vibrant mood and made the text stand out clearly from the background.
WEEK 7: Progress & Feedback
During the first stage of production, the lyrics were arranged in After Effects and the basic motion was tested. At first, the animation was still quite simple and the movement felt too direct. The text appeared more like sentence blocks, so the motion did not fully follow the rhythm of the song.
After receiving feedback, the main issue was that the animation looked a bit stiff. The lecturer suggested that the lyrics should be broken down into smaller parts, especially individual words, so that the movement could match the beat more closely. This feedback was important because kinetic typography should not only show the lyrics, but also use movement to express the rhythm and mood.
Based on this, the text was separated into more layers. Each word could then be animated with its own timing, position, scale, and movement. This made the animation more flexible because different words could enter, rotate, scale, or move separately instead of moving as one whole sentence.
At this stage, the group also gave feedback about audio alignment. The text needed to appear at the correct timing with the music, so the animation was adjusted line by line. Some preset animations were reduced because using too many presets made the movement feel less controlled. Instead, manual keyframes were used to make the motion match the beat more accurately.
WEEK 8: Refinement & Final Outcome
After the second round of feedback, the animation became much better compared to the previous version. The words were clearer, the timing was closer to the audio, and the motion felt more connected to the music.
One of the adjustments was to align the text more clearly within the composition. Some words needed to be placed on the same visual line so that the viewer could read the lyrics more comfortably. This helped improve the overall composition and made the movement look more organised.
The group also discussed visual consistency. Since every member had a different section, we needed to make sure the final video still looked like one complete project. We reviewed the use of fonts, colours, backgrounds, and graphic elements so that the whole video would feel more unified.
Another important feedback was about the graphic elements. Some graphics needed to have a stronger connection to the lyrics instead of only being decorative. For my section, the ATM graphic was removed because the group felt that simpler graphics would match the overall style better. This helped make the visuals cleaner and more consistent with the rest of the group video.
After the final adjustments, the revised video was sent to the group. The feedback from the group was positive, and the final version was considered better than the earlier version. The completed part was then ready to be combined with the other members' sections for the final submission.
REFLECTION
Through this project, I learned that kinetic typography is not only about making words move. The movement has to support the song, the lyrics, and the rhythm. If the words move too randomly, the animation becomes confusing. If the movement is too simple, the video can feel flat and stiff.
One of the most important things I learned was the importance of timing. The text needs to appear at the right moment so that it feels connected to the audio. Breaking the lyrics into individual words also made the animation more flexible and expressive.
I also learned that consistency is very important in group work. Since every member worked on a different section, we had to agree on fonts, colours, and general style so that the final video would not look disconnected. The shared colour palette and typography references helped the whole group maintain a similar visual direction.
The feedback process helped improve the final outcome. The first version was too stiff and sentence-based, but after revising the text into smaller word layers, adjusting the timing, reducing presets, and simplifying the graphic elements, the animation became more readable and energetic.
Overall, this project helped me understand how typography, motion, rhythm, and visual style can work together in information design. It also showed me how feedback and group coordination can improve a motion graphic project from a rough progress version into a more complete final outcome.
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