Laurence Stoffel spent 10 years leading the creative team at On, helping turn the Swiss running brand from a challenger into a category-defining name. In this conversation she shares what that decade actually taught her about brand, culture, and craft.

We get into why she thinks brand guidelines are overrated, why brand culture can't be manufactured (the Liverpool story is a great one), and how the relationship between brands and agencies is changing.

A genuinely thoughtful conversation for anyone working in brand, design, or creative leadership.

Topics covered:

00:00 Why brand guidelines are overrated

00:25 Intro

02:00 Learning to think in systems

14:00 Operating without guidelines and what that unlocks

17:00 Why a great in-house team changes everything

23:00 The friction between in-house teams and agencies

26:00 The questions the best agencies actually ask

29:00 Why big brands are turning to smaller boutique studios

32:00 Brand culture can't be engineered: the Liverpool story

43:00 Making the case for creative work as a win-win

About Laurence Stoffel

Laurence Stoffel led the creative team at On for a decade, helping grow it into the largest in-house creative studio in Switzerland and shaping the brand's identity across product, motion, retail and events. She studied at ECAL in Lausanne and works across product design, brand identity and art direction. She now works as an independent brand consultant.

Subscribe for monthly conversations with creative directors, motion designers, brand strategists and studio leaders at the forefront of the industry.

Follow OK Social: https://www.instagram.com/oksocial_/

Months in Motion is produced by OK Social, a London-based motion design studio.

#BrandDesign #BrandStrategy #DesignPodcast

Kristian Shepherd (Sheps) was kicked out of school in Manchester, ended up at Turner Duckworth, his "Real Madrid of design," and is now a Senior Designer at Pearlfisher in New York.

Alongside the day job, he's hosted 65+ episodes of the What Does Your Mum Think podcast, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu daily, and just been announced as a D&AD Shift mentor.

This is a different kind of conversation. We get into the journey, the moments of feeling completely lost, what mental health actually looks like inside the creative industry, and why he genuinely believes pressure is a privilege.

00:00 Intro: 17 years, three cities, one designer

03:18 Turner Duckworth: the dream agency and what really happens when you get there

08:37 Feeling lost after TD and the leap into freelance

12:32 Where the drive comes from: dad on the removals, kicked out of school

17:50 Pearlfisher: leaving a legacy and building community in New York

22:11 Three years of What Does Your Mum Think and how it has changed

29:00 Running a podcast alongside a full-time role: structured chaos

38:22 Delaying joy for success and learning to define it for yourself

45:48 Becoming a D&AD Shift mentor and giving back

53:26 Why vulnerability is the most underrated leadership skill

Kristian Shepherd, known in the industry as Sheps, is a Mancunian designer with 17 years of experience across Turner Duckworth, B&B Studio and a freelance chapter in London, before moving to New York in 2023 to join Pearlfisher as a Senior Designer. He's the founder and host of the What Does Your Mum Think? podcast, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, and a recently announced D&AD Shift mentor.

Subscribe for monthly conversations with creative directors, motion designers, brand strategists and studio leaders at the forefront of the industry.

Follow OK Social: https://www.instagram.com/oksocial_/

Follow WDYMT?: https://www.instagram.com/wdymt_official/

Subscribe to WDYMT?: www.youtube.com/@WDYMT_OFFICIAL

Months in Motion is produced by OK Social, a London-based motion design studio.

#BrandDesign #DesignPodcast #CreativeIndustry

How do you design a brand that moves with culture?In this episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon sits down with Stu Tallis, Creative Director at Taxi Studio, to unpack the motion strategy behind FlowFest - the world’s biggest reggaeton festival - and how motion design brings brands to life emotionally, rhythmically, and globally.Stu shares behind-the-scenes insights from work on Coca-Cola, YOLOH insurance, and his thoughts on what today’s brands are getting wrong about visual identity systems.🎥 Topics Covered:• FlowFest & reggaeton: building brands with rhythm• How motion shifts brand perception across cultures• Using characters & motion to demystify complexities in insurance (YOLOH)• What designers can learn from music, dance & street culture• Studio culture & their new Bristol home🔗 Explore Taxi Studio: https://taxistudio.co.uk00:00 – Intro: Motion, culture, and crafting identities that move 03:42 – FlowFest: Designing a motion-first identity for 200K+ reggaeton fans 07:10 – From masculinity to vibrancy: how reggaeton’s evolution shaped the brand 09:48 – Motion principles: rhythm, music, and expressive story systems 13:55 – YOLOH insurance: using a hand-animated mascot to simplify complex UX 18:02 – Why playful motion builds trust in stressful categories (like finance) 20:30 – What brands get wrong about motion in global markets 24:20 – Working with creative energy, not against it 27:40 – Letting motion lead: how Taxi builds brands from behaviour up 30:52 – Final thoughts: future culture, optimism, and play#branding #motiondesign #culturalbranding #monthsInMotion #taxistudio #visualidentity #flowfest #brandstrategy #motiongraphics

What happens when motion isn’t an afterthought, but a foundation?

In this edition of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon and Jack Last sit down with Jan Stein and Paul Watmough-Halim from Hyperfocus, a Hamburg-based brand studio turning heads with emotionally rich, behavior-led design systems.

The duo dive into how motion elevates storytelling, how studios can stand out in a sea of sameness, and why craft and imperfection may be branding’s next big rebellion.

🎥 Topics covered:

• Why motion should be baked into every brand system

• How to balance functional motion vs expressive storytelling

• The “DAYY” case and designing time with gradient systems

• Smart use of AI: enhancing stories, not replacing teams

• Why the design world needs to break away from mockup templates and sameness

• Favourite studios, tools (Cavalry, Rive), and upcoming projects

🔗 Visit Hyperfocus: https://hyperfocus.cc

📺 Subscribe to their channel: https://youtube.com/@the.brandreview

(00:00) – Intro: Motion-led branding and why Hyperfocus bakes it in

(04:01) – Why studios should never ask “Do you want motion?”

(07:52) – Motion as tone of voice & emotional storytelling

(09:57) – Character and cel animation: Tripadvisor, Mailchimp, Notion AI

(13:12) – Functional vs expressive motion — and why both can be beautiful

(16:45) – The DAYY case: using motion to visualize time and space

(21:32) – Tools of the trade: Rive, Cavalry, Figma & evolving workflows

(25:11) – Challenging sameness: mockup fatigue and brand bento backlash

(30:01) – Craft over trends: imperfection, AI, and the return to human touch

(35:40) – AI in practice: how Hyperfocus blends generated media into real work

(44:53) – What’s next: motion-heavy cases, YouTube growth, and brand talks

#branding #motiondesign #typography #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling

In this June edition of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon speaks with Cat How (CEO/ECD) and Eilidh (Senior Creative) from How&How - the branding studio behind award-winning projects like Wild Things and The Wombles.

🎥 Topics Covered:

• Motion design as mood + narrative

• Branding for environmental & social impact

• Behind-the-scenes on Wild Things, Chester Zoo & more

• Crafting future-forward identities rooted in character

• Gender equity, pay transparency & clean creative practices

👀 If you're into design systems, creative direction, or character animation in branding - this one's for you.

🔗 Explore the work: https://www.how.studio)

(0:00) - Welcome and Guest Introductions (1:29) - Wild Things Project: Vee's Moods and Personas (7:53) - Revitalising The Wombles: A Dream Project (17:53) - Purpose-Driven Design and Environmental Storytelling (22:23) - Digitising Nature: Chester Zoo Project (27:26) - Yango Maps: Playing with Visual Perspectives and Travel (30:57) - Advocating for Change in the Industry: Pay Transparency & Clean Creatives (34:02) - What's Next for How&How Studio (39:08) - A "Surreal Turn" and Final Thoughts

#branding #motiondesign #howandhow #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling #characterdesign

Lisa Smith (Global ECD at JKR) breaks down the branding strategy behind the D&AD 2025 identity - from motion design to storytelling.

In this conversation, we explore her creative process with Studio DRAMA and how world-class branding comes to life.

From deep strategy to bold creative execution, Lisa shares how collaboration, character, and craft converge in her projects - focusing on their latest venture with Studio DRAMA for D&AD Festival 2025.

👀 A must-watch for anyone working in branding, design, or creative direction.

🔗 Check out Jones Knowle Ritchie: https://www.jkrglobal.com/

🔗 Check out Studio DRAMA: https://studio-drama.com/

(00:00) – Welcome & Introduction

(03:01) – How Lisa connected with Studio DRAMA

(08:00) – D&AD Collaboration

(12:32) – Working with motion design

(15:01) – Humor, playfulness, and intentional storytelling

(18:01) – Cultural sensitivity and working globally

(19:19) – Imagery in motion design

(23:12) – Designing an event for creatives

(25:27) – How JKR and DRAMA left their unique mark on the project

(27:18) – How Dumbo inspired the motion films

(32:24) – The importance of sound design

(35:24) – What’s next?

#branding #motiondesign #jkr #jonesknowleritchie #lisasmith #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling

Motion is no longer an afterthought - it’s shaping the future of branding.

In this episode, Jimmy Gordon sits down with Santiago Avila, Motion Director at Koto, to unpack how motion design transforms brand systems, from Amazon’s overhaul to Deezer’s soundwave identity and Microsoft’s voxel nostalgia.

You’ll hear insights into the strategic role of motion, toolkit creation for global teams, and advice for young designers entering a hybrid creative world.

🎥 Key topics:

• Motion strategy in branding systems

• Case studies: Deezer, Amazon, Microsoft

• Static vs dynamic identity systems

• Designing scalable motion toolkits

• Advice for T-shaped creatives

🔗 Explore Koto: https://www.koto.studio📚

Get free resources from Seasoned: https://seasoned.koto.studio

(00:00) – Intro: From Argentina to Koto

(02:00) – Why motion branding matters more than ever

(04:30) – The rise of visual systems across screens

(08:00) – Why motion must be in brand strategy from day one

(13:10) – Case study: Deezer – Emotion through motion

(18:30) – Case study: Amazon – Balancing charm with UX clarity

(25:10) – Toolkits & onboarding in-house design teams

(30:30) – Case study: Microsoft’s 50th anniversary – Voxels, nostalgia & future vision

(34:40) – Advice for aspiring motion & brand designers

(37:50) – Free creative resources: Seasoned by Koto

(40:00) – What’s next for Koto? Closing thoughts

#motionbranding #koto #brandingstrategy #motiondesign #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #designsystems #santiagoavila

Motion is no longer an afterthought - it’s now the language of branding.

In this kickoff episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon sits down with design legend Brian Collins (CCO & Co-Founder, COLLINS) to explore why motion design is becoming the craft of brand behavior - and how rhythm, story, and surprise make a brand move people.

🎥 In this episode:

• The shift from static design to motion-first identity

• San Francisco Symphony & Freeform case studies

• Chuck Jones, Wile E. Coyote & design timing

• Why AI raises the stakes for creative excellence

• Creating systems that evolve, not restrict

🌐 Explore COLLINS: https://www.wearecollins.com/

(00:00) Introductions(02:10) Motion as the New Design Languange(07:00) Timing, Rhythm, and the Road Runner Effect(11:00) Filmmaking, Sound, and AI(13:13) San Francisco Symphony Case Study(20:03) Rejecting the “Timeless” Myth(22:42) Design Systems as Creative Tools(25:38) Part 2 Interlude(27:10) Stretching Helvetica with Disney Freeform(37:00) AI & the Future of Design(44:25) History of Design and How it Influences Us(48:40) What's next for COLLINS?(52:20) Outro

#branding #motiondesign #collins #briancollins #typography #monthsInMotion #creativeleadership #visualstorytelling

When BBH did their first rebrand in 44 years, motion was at the centre of it. The man behind that motion is Oded Shein, newly appointed Design Director at BBH London and one of the most interesting voices in the industry right now.

In this episode we get into the full picture: a non-linear career through Byte, Jellyfish, mental health tech, and the music industry, before landing at BBH. We talk Cavalry, kinetic typography, the relationship between sound and motion, and why he wants motion to be "alongside" rather than first or last.

A genuinely useful conversation for anyone working in motion, branding, or trying to figure out their next move in this industry.

Topics covered:

00:00 Intro and the non-linear career path

04:01 What working in the music industry teaches you about motion

08:02 Cavalry: how he started and how he uses it now

13:05 Motion design vs animation: how to actually explain it

16:35 How motion designers should explain their craft to agencies

20:51 Inside the BBH rebrand: motion principles and the 50fps rule

27:16 Building a network when you're an introvert

30:43 Stepping up to Design Director and why motion belongs at the table

34:07 AI in motion: the honest take

36:51 One piece of advice for motion designers looking to level up

About Oded Shein

Oded Shein is the newly appointed Design Director at BBH London, where he led the motion behind their first rebrand in 44 years. Before BBH he worked across agencies including Byte and Jellyfish, plus stints in the music industry and mental health tech. He's a power user of Cavalry, deeply passionate about kinetic typography, and teaches motion theory to younger designers.

Subscribe for monthly conversations with creative directors, motion designers, brand strategists and studio leaders at the forefront of the industry.

Follow BBH: https://www.instagram.com/bbhblacksheep/

Follow Oded: https://www.instagram.com/oded.design/

Follow OK Social: https://www.instagram.com/oksocial_

Months in Motion is produced by OK Social, a London-based motion design studio.

#MotionDesign #BBH #DesignPodcast

Kicked out of school and home at 17, he spent two years making bad decisions before finding his way into design. Now he advises Affinity, sits on Canva's Design Advisory Board, and works with brands like Disney, Nike and Liquid Death. This is how that happened.

In this episode we get into the full story - the difficult upbringing, what creativity actually saved him from, his very loud opinions on personal branding, what mastery really means in a world full of noise, and why he thinks the threat to creativity isn't AI at all - it's the disappearing space that creativity needs to thrive.

00:00 Intro - from kicked out at 17 to the Canva design board

03:08 The real story: abuse, drugs, rock bottom and finding design

14:25 The contrarian streak - where it actually comes from

23:48 Personal branding: what annoys James most about it

31:29 Visibility vs mastery - why talented people aren't always the busiest

45:41 Being in the room: why face-to-face still beats everything

58:24 How motion design conversations with clients have changed

1:06:34 Is creativity dead? Why the environment is the real problem

James Martin, known online as MadeByJames, is a brand designer, author, educator and advisor with nearly a million Instagram followers. He sits on the Design Advisory Board at Canva, advises Affinity, and is a partner at Lincoln Design Co, where he works with brands like Disney, Nike and Liquid Death. He writes a weekly Substack and has spent over two decades building brands and challenging how the industry thinks about craft, reputation and success.

Subscribe for monthly conversations with creative directors, motion designers, brand strategists and studio leaders at the forefront of the industry.

Follow James: https://www.instagram.com/made.by.james

Follow OK Social: https://www.instagram.com/oksocial_

Months in Motion is produced by OK Social, a London-based motion design studio.

What makes a product feel magical? It's rarely one big thing. It's the haptic buzz when your payment goes through. The animated rocket ship in a toast notification. The onboarding moment you skip but somehow still remember. That's brand experience design, and most people have never heard of it.

Jon Howell is Principal Brand Experience Designer at Ramp, and before that, he shaped product and brand at Dropbox, Lyft, Twitch, Robin Hood, and more. In this episode, we get into the discipline that sits between brand and product and why the best companies in the world are finally taking it seriously.

We cover the full toolkit: Rive, Lottie, ProtoPie, Jitter, haptic feedback, sonic design, AI motion identity, wearables and more. Plus Jon gives genuinely useful career advice for designers trying to break into this space.

00:00 Intro and what is brand experience design02:05 New tools reshaping the field: Rive, Lottie, ProtoPie05:15 Haptics, sound and the Robin Hood loot box example07:09 How brands build emotional connection through design13:19 Testing brand moments and why metrics don't always apply18:27 Designing trust into AI products24:45 Balancing delight with function30:15 How to sell brand experience work internally34:06 Career advice: breaking into brand experience design43:53 Wearables, AR glasses and the future of brand interaction

Motion should no longer be an afterthought, in the digital age, movement bleeds into a brands identity.

In this month’s episode of Months in Motion, Jack and Jimmy sat down with Liza Enebeis and Wouter Dirks from the legendary Studio DUMBAR/DEPT to discuss how they approach brand design and integrate sound and motion. Working with the likes of OpenAI, Instagram and Google.

Whether you're building brand systems for startups or global tech giants, Liza and Wouter share how to balance experimental design with functional branding that survives in the real world.

We also touch on the "addictive" world of vibe coding and why your next big tool might just be Excel or Keynote.

https://studiodumbar.com/

00:00 – Meet Liza Enebeis & Wouter Dirks of Studio DUMBAR /DEPT

04:02 – Flipping the process: Why motion and sound come first

07:22 – Generalists vs. Specialists: How the team collaborates

11:42 – Function over fluff: When to use motion vs. stillness

15:05 – Systematic Identity: Approaching sound like a brand

17:31 – Vibe Coding: The new era of experimental design tools

22:03 – Inside the OpenAI refresh: Making AI feel human

32:07 – The "Date" Test: Choosing the right clients & projects

36:56 – The Kitchen Review: How to push creative boundaries

48:54 – Future Outlook: From AI to... Cassette Tapes?

What happens when type becomes the core of a brand’s voice - and not just its style?In this episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon and Jack Last sit down with Chris Nott and Will Richardson, co-founders of Studio DRAMA - a new wave type foundry building motion-ready, brand-first custom fonts.From collaborations with agencies like JKR, to working with global brands like Heinz and Mozilla, the DRAMA team shares how custom type can create recognisability, ownability, and motion-native systems for modern brands.If you work in branding, typography, or motion, this one’s for you.🎥 Topics covered:• The power of custom type in branding & motion• Working with agencies vs. internal creative teams• Heinz & Mozilla case studies• Why “don’t borrow a voice — build one” matters• Using motion and variable fonts with intention• What makes Studio DRAMA’s process so collaborative• Type design for global markets & multilingual systems🔗 Studio DRAMA: https://studio-drama.com/🎧 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H4ZbZNe192400:00 – Intro: Studio DRAMA’s philosophy & branding background 03:05 – Why most brands don’t know they need custom type 04:28 – Educating agencies through type talks 06:06 – Working directly with clients vs. through agencies 09:25 – How Studio DRAMA makes type design collaborative 12:19 – Making typography accessible & strategic 15:53 – “Don’t borrow a voice. Build one.” 17:32 – Heinz case study: using type without a logo 21:26 – Designing fonts for motion, display, and pack 24:42 – Variable fonts & expressive brand systems 27:35 – Should brands break typographic rules in the age of AI?

Months in Motion returns with Sunny Bonnell - co-founder of Motto, best-selling author, and a force behind transformative branding for companies like Google, Disney, and Mastercard.

In this episode, Sunny shares how to scale visionary leadership, embed values into remote-first teams, and embrace AI as a creative catalyst - all while celebrating Motto’s 20-year milestone.

From culture-building to future-facing motion design, this is a must-watch for anyone shaping the brands of tomorrow.

📚 Explore Motto’s work: https://wearemotto.com

📖 Check out Sunny’s book Rare Breed: https://www.rarebreedbook.com

🔗 Motto 20-Year Microsite: https://xx.wearemotto.com/0:00 – Intro & Sunny’s unconventional origin story

1:38 – The founding of Motto with just $250

3:35 – Scaling brands during inflection points

6:04 – Building culture in a remote-first agency

9:50 – Rituals & values that actually work

12:18 – How Motto uses AI as a strategic creative tool

15:45 – Perception Map: Fusing data + AI + insight

18:30 – The ethics & limits of AI in branding

23:30 – The future of 3D and spatial design in branding

29:45 – Sunny’s biggest learning after 20 years in business

What happens when a major brand rethinks everything - in just 3 months?

In this episode of Months in Motion, Jasmine Sharpe (Creative Director, Grubhub) joins Jack to unpack how she led a motion-ready rebrand that reimagines photography, type, and storytelling across every channel.

From subtle cheese pulls to expressive wordmarks, this is a masterclass in making food brands feel - emotionally and sensorially.

Jasmine also opens up about inclusive design, creative leadership, and the art of building a brand that partners with everyone - from local bodegas to Michelin-level restaurants.

🎥 Topics Covered:

• Why Grubhub’s new system starts with motion

• Craveability in design: emotion through food, type & color

• From static to sensorial: out-of-home, TVC & digital

• Creative sprints, fast approvals & internal brand building

• How diversity strengthens storytelling

• Building agency + in-house collaborations that work

• Photography, accessibility & future experimentation

🔗 Explore Grubhub: https://www.grubhub.com/

🎧 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O0ZaZa_YK7M

📣 Follow Jasmine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasminesharpe/

#grubhub #monthsInMotion #branding #motiondesign #creativedirection #inclusiveDesign #brandidentity #foodbranding #rebrand #brandleadership

00:00 – Intro: Grubhub’s rebrand and Jasmine’s creative background

01:48 – Making motion a foundational piece of the identity system

04:20 – Motion examples: the “G runway”, cheese pulls & craveable design

06:30 – Storytelling through motion and sound across all touchpoints

09:10 – Out-of-home in NYC: subtle motion in triptychs and typography

11:10 – Collaborating fast: in-house rebrand in 3 months

13:50 – Test-and-learn design sprints: motion by experimentation

17:30 – Inclusive photography: real people, real food, real joy

23:30 – Balancing brand control with adaptability for partnerships

34:40 – Leading with diversity and building design teams that reflect the world

What does it mean to run a studio that feels like a person - not a product?

In this episode of Months in Motion, Jimmy Gordon chats with Barrington Reeves, founder of Too Gallus, one of the UK’s most distinctive boutique studios. From working with Nike and Red Bull to building a Glasgow creative family, Baz shares how attitude, culture, and truth-telling turned Too Gallus into a brand of its own.It’s raw, honest, and full of laughs - a must-watch for anyone building a brand, a business, or both.

🎥 Topics Covered:

• Why clients are ditching big agencies for boutique studios

• Building a team with “that extra 5% of magic”

• AI, budget cuts & the levelling of creative power

• Why Too Gallus turns down misaligned clients

• Running a studio that lives across socials, sub clubs & PR panels

• Magic City, nightlife roots, and bringing culture back to branding🔗

Explore Too Gallus: https://www.toogallus.com/

🗞️ Follow Barrington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barringtonreeves/

00:00 – Intro: From nightlife to Nike — Too Gallus in focus

02:29 – Why big brands are choosing small studios

05:56 – How AI is levelling the creative playing field

10:47 – Winning briefs without pitching - inbound through personality

13:44 – Hiring with soul: building a family of multi-hyphenates

21:41 – The indie studio mindset: impact over titles

28:42 – Why Too Gallus keeps it raw on social media

32:26 – Turning down bad-fit clients (and why that builds the right brand)

39:59 – Magic City & staying close to culture

43:44 – Next moves: US focus, day parties, and culture-first community

#toogallus #monthsInMotion #branding #motiondesign #creativeleadership #brandculture #boutiqueagency #glasgowdesign #studiofounder #designwithpersonality