Information Design| Final project

3/02/2025-23/03/2025

Wang Yifan/0368363

Information Design / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media

Final Project : Infographic Video Animation

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INTRODUCTION

Module Information Booklet (MIB)

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FINAL PROJECT: ANIMATED INFOGRAPHICS

Instructions :

Based on FLIP group topic research, produce a basic video animation.

Description :

Using a processed design framework, you will now produce an infographic report to present the given information to a ‘target audience’ with the purpose of:

1. Creating awareness (such as Global Warming, Recycle, etc.)

2. Explaining a process (such as "how to" video)

3. Defining a concept (such as "What is Fast Fashion", "What is Color Wheel", etc.)

Any time based media and software using photography, vector imagery.

Design Considerations :

● Organization Principles – LATCH and Content Organization

● Aesthetic Principles – Animation principles

● Cognitive Principles – Principles of visualization

Output Expectation :

The presentation must be deliberated on, consider each assessment rubric of sorts to your final outcome:

● Show causality

● Multivariate graphics and visuals

● Integrate word number and images

● Content count

● Within eyesight

● Use multiple charts

● Do not de-quantify

Progress : 

Week 1

Choosing Team & Selecting Topic

In Week 1, we learned the basics of making infographic videos, focusing on how to effectively communicate information through engaging visuals and concise messaging. Mr. Fauzi Yusoff guided us through the process by showing several infographic video examples, focusing on key elements such as storyboarding, typography, motion graphics, and data visualization. These examples provided valuable insights into making engaging and informative content.

We kicked off by discussing the direction of our final project. Out of the three major themes—raising awareness, explaining a process, or defining a concept—we voted to go with "explaining a process." We brainstormed tons of ideas like "how volcanoes erupt," "how to make handmade soap," and "how to make mung bean cake." Week 1 was all about team alignment and idea generation.

Fig 1.1 Team Members

Week 2

Initially, we decided on "how to make mung bean cakes" as our topic, but found very limited resources online. So, after further discussion, we switched to "how to make mooncakes," which is more well-known and easier to research. Mr. Fauzi also advised us to study poor-quality infographic videos online to learn what not to do.

Week 3

This week, we worked on slide decks with individual assignments. I was responsible for the cultural story of mooncakes and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This is the division of labor for our slides：

1. Introduction - Tristan
2. What is a mooncake? - Shao Han
3. History of mooncake - Wu Ziyang
4. Why mooncakes - Yong 
5. Target audience - Sheryne
6. Mooncake festival/ mooncake story - Wangyifan
7. Mooncake video we want to make  infographic animation of -Yang jiayi
8. Make infographic with info extraction from mooncake video - Velicia 
9. Style references - Zhang
10. Ending statement - Tristan
11. Bibliography - Yong

We also voted on the visual style for the video—landing on the fourth option, which is simple yet detailed. Our team finalized speaker assignments for the upcoming mid-term presentation.

Fig 1.2 Style Selection

Fig1.3 Finished Slide

Week 4

After our mid-term presentation, Mr. Fauzi gave feedback that our content could be simpler, and advised us to create a script and storyboard. We split into production teams—I was assigned editing and sound. This week was all about writing the voiceover script, assigning visual scenes, and laying the foundation for production.According to the division of labor, we complete individual tasks in sequence.

Fig1.4 Our team members created the script

Week 5

We finished a very detailed storyboard this week. Each scene had clear visual descriptions, narration, and duration. This greatly helped set up our animation workflow. We also began recording multiple versions of the voiceover to give us flexibility in the editing stage.

Fig1.5 Our team members created the storyboard

Fig1.6 Our team members created the audio

Week 6

This week we focused on illustration drawing, and the team members divided the work and cooperated. We unified the color tone to ensure the consistency of the picture style, and reflected the family atmosphere in the details, such as different skin colors, clothing, etc. At the same time, we communicated the illustrations in a timely manner and put forward suggestions for improvement.

This is our allocation

• We completed all the illustrations as planned and exported the PNG layers to Google Drive for subsequent animation production. I started to convert the static images into dynamic images in AEYang Jiayi: Scene 17-21(with ShaoHan);Scene 22,24
• Shao Han: Scene 8-11;Scene 17-21(with Jiayi)
• Velicia: Scene 1, 3, 4
• Sheryne: Scene 2, 5, 6, 7
• Valerie: Scene 12-16, 25-26

Week 7

We completed all the illustrations as planned and exported the PNG layers to Google Drive for subsequent animation production. I started to convert the static images into dynamic images in AE.

Fig1.7 All scenes

Animation Production Process

1.Collecting Materials：I prepared the necessary text content and chose a hand-drawn style font that fits the overall aesthetic. I also created background patterns or solid color backgrounds for later use.

Fig1.8 AE project panel and sub-scene structure

2.Creating Composition： Multiple compositions were created in After Effects, each representing a different scene: ingredient display, wrapping, baking, and final product. Resolution: 1920×1080, frame rate: 29.97fps.

3.Importing Assets：Imported all visual assets, including illustrations, text, and background images, and organized them by category for easier animation workflow.

Fig1.9 Layer group management interface

4. Fade-in Animation：Set opacity of the text layer to 0% at frame 0 and to 100% at 1 second to create a fade-in animation.

5. Rotation Animation：Recorded a rotation keyframe at 1 second and set the angle to 360° at 3 seconds for a full clockwise spin.

Fig1.10 Filling combination (egg yolk + lotus paste)

6. Scale Animation：Set scale to 100% at 3 seconds and enlarged to 150% at 5 seconds for zoom-in effect.

7. Adding Background & Effects：Placed background layers below main elements and added visual enhancements like glows, shadows, and particle effects.

8. Preview & Refinement：Used AE's preview tool to check flow and adjust layer timings, colors, and animation sequences accordingly.

Fig1.11 Brush egg liquid action animation

9. Rendering the Final Video：Exported the final animation as an MP4 file with proper settings.

I had very little time left, so I completed the AE animation part in two days. On the last day, I handed over all the animation tasks to Valerie, who was responsible for putting the recorded dubbing into the video.

The following is the yin'ping I made in AE：

No audio animation

Final Submission

Group 2 Flip Presentation

Youtobe link

Google drive link

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FEEDBACK

Week 4

Planning and Script Development

• Simplify the information to make it more understandable for the audience.

• Write a voiceover script to help visualize the video scenes.

• Create a storyboard. It doesn’t need to be fully illustrated per frame—simple sketches or block visuals are enough.

• Use motion graphics where possible; it’s easier and less time-consuming than frame-by-frame illustration.

Week 5-6 

Scene Optimization & Animation Process

• Make the pie chart larger while scaling down other objects to highlight the data.

• Reevaluate some scenes, as they may feel too long with the voiceover included.

• Animate the video part by part. Render each part as .mov and .mp4 files.

• In Premiere Pro, slot in the rendered files based on timing.

• Highlight key words like “Mooncakes” and “Tang Dynasty” using animation effects (e.g., scaling, color change, or dynamic outlines).

Week 7 

Simplifying Visuals & Finalizing Base Animation

• The illustrations are too detailed. Simplify them to speed up production.

• Focus on basic animations such as movement, rotation, scaling, and fade-in/fade-out.

• After completing the core animation, consider adding more visual details if time allows.

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REFLECTION

Experiences 

This semester felt like a design bootcamp—intensive, fast-paced, and full of growth. From choosing the topic to doing research, writing the script, illustrating, recording voiceovers, and animating in After Effects, I went through every step of the design journey. AE was especially challenging for me in the beginning, with all the layers and keyframes to manage. But over time, as I saw our visuals slowly come to life, I started to enjoy the process a lot more.

One of the most valuable parts was working with a team. We had to constantly communicate, delegate tasks clearly, and find ways to support each other. It wasn’t always easy, but it taught me how to handle real collaboration in creative work—and that’s a skill I’ll carry forward.

Observations 

One thing I observed throughout this process is that information design is all about clarity and structure. Our instructor constantly reminded us to simplify, and I began to realize how trimming down content and highlighting only what really matters made a big difference. Good storytelling doesn’t come from saying everything—it comes from choosing what not to say.

I also noticed how much visual consistency matters. Even though our team members were working on different scenes, we made a clear plan to keep the style unified—assigning certain parts like hands or mooncakes to specific people. This helped the final animation feel smoother and more professional.

Findings 

One major takeaway is that design is not just about making things look good—it’s about solving communication problems. This project helped me shift from relying on instinct alone to thinking more systematically. I found that when we simplified our overly detailed illustrations, the message became easier to understand and the animation flowed more naturally.

More than anything, I’ve learned that design is a balance of creativity and logic. The goal is not to make things more complex, but to make ideas more accessible—and that’s something I’ll bring into all my future design work.