Running a Motion Design Agency for a Month — Week 1 Update

This post is part of a project where I documented running a motion design agency for a month. Click here to check it out.

This week, I defined what the project would consist of and why. I also coordinated with one of my clients. I had a strategy call with them and wrote the first draft of their script. I was excited to learn more about how to strategize with a client for this kind of video. You can learn more about that project here.

What I did the first week:

• Listed 5 initial ideas w/ an outline for each idea

Redirecting you - Medium

• Wrote a blog post about how documenting the process of building things is helpful

Why Document the Process of Building Things?

• Created multiple rough drafts of my landing page in Google docs
• Brainstormed how I could tie my mod 3 project in with my long term goals
• Had 3 Zoom calls with different people to ask them for feedback on my project ideas
• Wrote my rough project outline, got feedback on it, and wrote my refined project outline
• Created a Notion board based on my project outline to track what tasks I needed to complete throughout the month and when
• Met with a client his needs for an animated promotional video project
• Wrote the first draft of the script for the case study video and sent it to client for feedback
• Created my landing page and illustrated graphics to use throughout the project

Here’s the graphic I created this week

What I learned the first week:

→ Talking to people is useful!

• I knew this, but this week confirmed it.
• I overthink. I got too caught up in trying to explain how this month’s project tied into my long term goals. I overcomplicated what the project needed to be in my head. Talking to people allowed me to realize I was overthinking. And (try to) stop.

→ Asking questions is powerful.

• Recently, someone gave me wise advice about talking to clients. “Your goal is help them gain clarity on what they need,” she said. When she said this, something clicked for me. Give them a platform to think out loud and get clearer about what they need. I tried to apply this this week when I had the initial strategy call with the client who’s project I’ll be documenting this week. I asked more questions. I waited longer before saying, “Okay, based on the problem you’ve just explained I could do x.”

One of the illustrated graphics I created this week. It shows the creation of my business’s first case study outlining an animated promotional video project.

What I’ll focus on next week:

• Writing the 2nd draft of the script for the client after I get feedback on the first version
• Sketching and storyboarding ideas for my Frank ad
• Work on my animated graphic project for ComLink

Check out my week 2 update:

Running a Motion Design Agency for a Month — Week 2