Technology / Design Guide / 03
Motion
Design movement for bodies in a space, not only for a camera looking at a screen.
Definition
Motion describes how change travels through the installation and how that movement relates to audience direction, speed and attention.
Core principle
Spatial motion should guide attention and reveal structure. Constant movement quickly turns an environment into visual noise.
Questions to ask
- Where should attention begin and end?
- Does motion follow or challenge audience movement?
- Which physical axis carries the idea?
- When should the space become still?
Recommended approach
- Define a clear origin, path and release.
- Use speed changes to reveal scale.
- Coordinate motion across depth rather than copying one animation.
- Include stillness as an intentional state.
Common pitfalls
- Moving every element continuously
- Using screen-style motion without spatial direction
- Ignoring the audience's own movement