Reinforce your brand through motion

In the world of website design, brand identity isn’t just about logos, colour schemes and tone of voice. It’s about the experience users have when interacting with a website.

A carefully crafted user experience (UX) can evoke specific feelings and attitudes towards a brand, often communicating its core values without a single word. One powerful tool in the web development tool kit is motion – subtle yet impactful, responsive animations that reinforce the atmosphere and personality of a brand.

When I started working on the website for local Chartered Architectural Practice, Ellis Hillman, I wanted to do more than just showcase the stunning designs. I wanted the website to feel like an extension of the architectural philosophy – an experience that users could feel. Architecture is tactile: we experience spaces with our hands and feet just as much as we do with our eyes and ears. The idea of tactile interaction became the guiding principle for some of the website’s key touch points, particularly when it came to navigation and page transitions.

I aimed to subtly express the idea that interacting with a brand, much like interacting with a building, is a multi-sensory experience. The animation isn’t just decoration – it’s a reinforcement of the brand’s ethos.

For example, let’s take a look at the custom hamburger navigation. When I received the designs from our digital designer, Charlotte, I immediately noticed how she had incorporated the Ellis Hillman logo into the hamburger, taking a common place, typical website asset and making it deliberate and relevant. I instantly thought, “I’m going to animate that”.

When you click to open the menu, the branded hamburger icon folds in and transitions smoothly into its alternative state - a simple X to close the menu. This acknowledgement of the transition rather than just an abrupt ‘switcheroo’ subtly expresses a patience and commitment to the process, qualities characteristic of a master architect. The menu then unfolds to take over the screen, showing a simple and functional navigation system before folding back up to seamlessly reveal the selected page.

This isn’t just a functional element – it’s an interaction designed to feel deliberate and refined. It was important to avoid overloading the user with flashy, unnecessary animations. Instead, the focus was on creating something seamless and sophisticated, inviting the user to experience the brand’s attention to detail and care without overwhelming them with excess.

The beauty of motion design is that it allows us to reinforce key brand values without directly stating them. Through small, thoughtful animations, the website communicates a sense of tactility, class, and care – qualities that are deeply embedded in the brand’s architecture. It’s not about flashy visuals. It’s about elevating the experience in a way that feels natural and intuitive not overwhelming and distracting.

Why Consider Motion for Your Website?

Incorporating motion into your web project doesn’t need to be over-the-top. It’s about using motion thoughtfully to enhance the atmosphere of your website and communicate key brand values. Whether it’s to emphasise a sense of care and attention, convey playfulness, or even encourage urgency, motion helps reinforce your brand’s tone without the need for explicit statements. The goal is to create an immersive experience that lingers with the user long after they’ve clicked away.

Motion invites users to engage with your brand on a deeper level, giving them something to explore and enjoy, all while reinforcing the essence of what makes your brand unique. In the case of Ellis Hillman, motion brought the core ethos to life, seamlessly blending brand values with a web experience that users could truly feel.

Get in touch with our digital team on 01782 618324, info@starbots-creative.co.uk or use our contact form by clicking here.