Motion Graphic Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Motion Graphic Designer

Company: Wordsmith AI

Location: London, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / Marketing / Technology

Date Posted: April 23, 2026

Experience Level: 3+ Years (Mid-Level)

Remote Status: Hybrid (In-office expectation in chosen hub)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the motion design function at a rapidly growing AI company, defining its visual language across all platforms.

• Drive product storytelling and brand perception through compelling video content, directly impacting customer acquisition and engagement.

• Build and maintain a scalable motion system, ensuring brand consistency and efficient content creation for launch videos, feature announcements, and social assets.

• Collaborate closely with Design, Growth, Product Marketing, and Founders to translate complex technical concepts into clear, engaging visual narratives.

• Leverage AI tools to enhance creative output, speed up production workflows, and expand creative possibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "founding motion role," indicating significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape the function from its inception. The emphasis on "craft, speed, and work that directly drives growth" suggests a high-performance environment where operational efficiency in creative output is paramount.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and produce high-impact launch videos, feature announcements, and product animations that clearly articulate Wordsmith's value proposition.

• Transform complex legal tech workflows and abstract concepts into visually digestible and compelling narratives for diverse audiences.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive motion design system, including templates, transitions, and export standards, to ensure brand consistency and scalability.

• Create engaging social media assets, event openers, conference loops, and sales enablement materials to support marketing and sales initiatives.

• Partner with cross-functional teams, including writers, designers, and product marketers, throughout the entire creative process, from ideation to final delivery.

• Manage and onboard freelance motion designers to supplement in-house capacity and manage project timelines effectively.

• Contribute to defining the overall brand narrative and how motion design supports marketing, sales, and product storytelling objectives.

• Proactively integrate and experiment with AI tools to improve the quality, efficiency, and creative range of motion design deliverables.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "build a motion system" and "define how motion supports brand, growth, and product storytelling" indicates a strategic rather than purely execution-focused role. This implies a need for proactive problem-solving and system thinking, common in operational efficiency drives within creative departments.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and advanced technical skills is essential. Emphasis is placed on practical application over formal academic credentials.

Experience: 3+ years of professional motion design experience, with a preference for in-house roles at product-focused technology companies. Experience in building and scaling creative functions or systems is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe After Effects for complex animation and motion graphics.

• Expertise in Figma for design integration, asset creation, and collaborative workflows.

• Strong narrative and visual storytelling capabilities, with the ability to simplify complex ideas into clear, engaging visual narratives.

• Proven ability to manage projects from concept to completion, ensuring on-time and high-quality delivery.

• An ownership mindset, demonstrating initiative, proactivity, and a drive to build and improve processes.

• Experience in leveraging AI tools to enhance creative output and production efficiency.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with web animation technologies such as Rive, Lottie, or GSAP.

• Familiarity with 3D software like Cinema 4D or Blender for enhanced visual complexity.

• Hands-on experience with AI-powered video generation and editing tools.

• Demonstrated ability in building and managing reusable motion systems, libraries, or style guides.

• Experience in creative direction or managing external creative resources (freelancers).

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "AI-first mentality" and using "AI tools to improve quality, speed, and creative range" suggests that candidates who can demonstrate practical application of AI in their workflow will have a significant advantage. This reflects a trend towards operational efficiency through technology integration.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A strong, curated reel showcasing shipped work, with clear explanations of your role and the impact of your contributions.

• Demonstrations of simplified complex workflows or abstract concepts through visual storytelling.

• Examples of building and implementing reusable design systems, templates, or libraries for motion graphics.

• Evidence of high standards for craft, taste, and attention to detail in visual execution.

Process Documentation:

• Ability to articulate your end-to-end motion design process, from brief interpretation to final delivery.

• Examples of how you’ve established efficient workflows for content creation, particularly for product launches or feature announcements.

• Documentation or explanation of how you’ve built and maintained motion systems for brand consistency and scalability.

• Evidence of using project management tools or methodologies to track and deliver multiple projects simultaneously.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a "founding motion role" with an emphasis on building systems, the portfolio should not only showcase creative output but also the candidate's ability to architect and implement scalable processes and reusable assets. Demonstrating an understanding of operational efficiency within a creative context will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a mid-level Motion Graphic Designer with 3+ years of experience in London, UK, the estimated salary range is approximately £45,000 - £70,000 per annum. This is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in London, considering the tech/AI sector and the hybrid work model.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity, reflecting the impact and ownership of the role.

• Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.

• Generous paid time off and holiday allowance.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training and conference attendance.

• Access to cutting-edge AI tools and technology.

• Dynamic and fast-paced work environment with significant growth potential.

Working Hours: The role is based on a standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility offered. However, the company emphasizes an in-office presence as the default for collaboration and productivity in their chosen hub (London or Edinburgh).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on data from reputable UK job boards and salary aggregators for Motion Graphic Designers in London, factoring in the tech/AI industry and the company's backing by prominent VC firms. The "meaningful equity" is a significant component of compensation for early-stage, high-growth tech companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Legal Technology (LegalTech). Wordsmith AI is at the forefront of applying AI to automate in-house legal operations, addressing a critical need for efficiency and scalability in legal departments.

Company Size: Rapidly growing, with hubs in London, Edinburgh, and New York. The team is described as having "talent density" and aiming for "world-class standards," suggesting a high-performing, driven culture.

Founded: Wordsmith AI is a relatively young company, indicated by its fast growth and backing from major venture capital firms like Index Ventures and General Catalyst. This implies a dynamic, agile, and innovation-focused environment.

Team Structure:

• The motion design function is new, with this role being the "founding motion role."

• You will report to senior leadership within Design, Marketing, or Product, collaborating closely with a senior marketing and design team.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making and a focus on measurable impact are implied by the company's growth trajectory and customer base.

• Emphasis on speed and execution ("move quickly, ship fast") balanced with high standards for quality ("craft matters").

• A proactive and autonomous work style is encouraged, with individuals expected to "spot gaps and move before being asked."

Company Website: https://www.wordsmith.ai

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI and legal tech suggests a professional yet innovative environment. The "talent density" and "world-class standards" indicate a culture that values expertise, efficiency, and high performance, which will be reflected in how creative operations are managed.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Mid-Level to Senior-Individual Contributor role, designated as the "founding motion role." The position offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to build and define the motion design function for the company. It's a chance to move from execution to strategic creative leadership within a specific domain.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the role likely reports to a Head of Design, Head of Marketing, or a senior executive, given the strategic importance of motion and brand storytelling. Close partnership with Founders is also highlighted.

Operations Impact: Motion graphics are explicitly identified as a "fastest way to show people what Wordsmith actually does" and can communicate more than long case studies. Therefore, this role has a direct and visible impact on brand perception, lead generation, customer acquisition, and sales enablement. Your work will be instrumental in translating complex product value into tangible business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Functional Leadership: Build and scale the motion design function, establish best practices, and potentially build a team as the company grows.

• Strategic Influence: Shape the visual storytelling strategy for a rapidly growing AI company, influencing brand perception and market communication.

• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in AI-driven creative tools, product storytelling within the legal tech space, and build a portfolio of high-impact, scalable motion systems.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gain deep insights into product development, growth marketing, and sales enablement strategies through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "founding" nature of this role implies a fast-track for growth and impact. Candidates who demonstrate strategic thinking and the ability to build scalable operational processes within their creative domain will be well-positioned for advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Wordsmith AI operates with an "in-office team" model as the default, emphasizing the benefits of co-location for speed, collaboration, and better work output. While remote work may be possible, the expectation is for significant in-office presence in their chosen hub (London or Edinburgh).

Office Location(s): Hubs are located in London, Edinburgh, and New York. The specific office location for this role will be either London or Edinburgh.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a high-trust, collaborative atmosphere where teamwork is essential for fast-paced execution and high-quality outcomes.

• Technology & Tools: Access to cutting-edge AI tools and a standard suite of professional design and editing software (After Effects, Figma, Premiere).

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with senior leadership, design, marketing, and product teams, fostering a dynamic and engaged work environment.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the understanding that flexibility is provided. However, the emphasis on in-office collaboration suggests a structured work schedule within the chosen hub.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "in-office team" model, while common, is presented here with a rationale centered on operational efficiency (speed, collaboration, better work). Candidates should be comfortable with this hybrid, in-office-centric approach.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess experience, technical skills, and alignment with the "founding role" expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deep dive into your reel and shipped work. Be prepared to discuss your approach to specific projects, your creative process, how you simplified complex ideas, and the impact of your work.

• Skills Assessment/Challenge: Potentially a short, practical exercise or case study focused on translating a product concept into a visual narrative or designing a component of a motion system.

• Team/Founder Interviews: Discussions focused on cultural fit, ownership mindset, initiative, collaboration style, and strategic thinking regarding motion's role in the business.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Your reel is paramount. Ensure it showcases your best work with clear examples of product storytelling, animation techniques, and narrative clarity.

• Explain Your Process: For each project, be ready to articulate your thought process, the challenges you faced, how you overcame them, and the tools and techniques you used. Emphasize your role in building systems or optimizing workflows.

• Highlight Impact: Where possible, quantify the impact of your work (e.g., engagement metrics, conversion rates, brand recall). If direct metrics aren't available, articulate the intended impact and how your creative choices supported business goals.

• Demonstrate AI Proficiency: Showcase any work where you've effectively integrated AI tools to improve quality, speed, or explore new creative directions.

• Tailor to Wordsmith: Research Wordsmith's product and current marketing. Think about how your skills and style align with their brand and future needs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Practice Narrative Translation: Be ready to take a complex, technical concept (e.g., AI in legal tech) and outline how you would visualize it for a short video.

• System Thinking: Prepare to discuss how you would build a scalable motion system for a brand like Wordsmith. What elements would you include? How would you ensure consistency?

• AI Integration: Think about how AI can assist in creating assets for this role—from script generation to animation assistance.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "founding role" aspect and emphasis on building, the interview process will likely assess not just creative talent but also strategic thinking, initiative, and the ability to operate autonomously and build operational frameworks.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Adobe After Effects: For advanced motion graphics, animation, and visual effects. Expect to demonstrate mastery in creating complex animations and utilizing its extensive features for product visualization.

• Figma: For collaborative design, asset creation, prototyping, and integration with other design workflows. Essential for working alongside product and design teams.

• Adobe Premiere Pro: For video editing, assembly, and final rendering of motion graphics projects.

Analytics & Reporting: While not a primary focus for this role, an understanding of how motion content contributes to key metrics (e.g., engagement, conversion, time-on-page) will be beneficial. The company likely uses tools for web analytics and marketing automation.

CRM & Automation: Familiarity with how marketing and sales enablement assets are deployed within CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or marketing automation platforms could be advantageous, though not explicitly required.

Bonus Tools (Valued):

• Rive, Lottie, GSAP: For web-based animations and interactive motion graphics.

• Cinema 4D / Blender: For 3D animation and asset creation, adding depth and realism to visuals.

• AI Video Tools: Any tools that aid in video generation, editing, or enhancing creative workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on After Effects and Figma, alongside the bonus of web animation and 3D tools, indicates a need for a versatile motion designer capable of producing a wide range of assets, from complex product explainers to lightweight web animations. Proficiency with AI tools is a strong differentiator.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship & High Standards: A commitment to producing work of exceptional quality and aesthetic appeal. The standard matters.

• Speed & Execution: The ability to move quickly, iterate rapidly, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

• Ownership & Initiative: Taking full responsibility for your work, proactively identifying opportunities, and driving projects forward without constant direction.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Working effectively with cross-functional teams, sharing knowledge, and contributing to a collective success.

• Innovation & AI-First: Embracing new technologies, particularly AI, to enhance creativity, efficiency, and the overall output.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Integrated: Expect to be deeply integrated with Design, Growth, Product Marketing, and Founders, actively participating in strategic discussions and creative development.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback for continuous improvement of both creative output and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, new techniques, and learnings, especially regarding AI tools and efficient workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values a blend of high-quality execution ("craft") and rapid, efficient delivery ("speed"). The "ownership mindset" and "AI-first mentality" are core cultural drivers that shape how individuals are expected to operate and innovate.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining a New Function: As the founding motion designer, you'll be responsible for establishing the motion design strategy, systems, and workflows from scratch.

• Translating Complex Concepts: Effectively communicating the nuances of AI in legal tech to a broad audience requires strong visual storytelling and simplification skills.

• Balancing Speed and Craft: Meeting the demands of a fast-paced startup while maintaining exceptionally high creative standards.

• Staying Ahead of AI: Continuously exploring and integrating evolving AI tools to maintain a competitive edge in creative production efficiency and quality.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Tool Mastery: Deepen expertise in generative AI and AI-assisted creative tools, becoming a go-to expert within the company.

• Strategic Impact: Gain experience in shaping brand narrative and driving business growth through creative strategy at a high-growth tech company.

• System Building: Develop skills in creating and managing scalable design systems and operational processes within a creative function.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Broaden understanding of product development, marketing, and sales strategies by working closely with diverse teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge and growth opportunity lie in the "founding" nature of the role. This means significant autonomy and the chance to build something substantial, which requires adaptability, strategic thinking, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a motion system for Wordsmith AI from scratch?" Be ready to outline key components, processes, and how you'd ensure scalability and brand consistency.

• "Describe a time you had to visualize a complex technical concept. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" Focus on your narrative instincts, simplification techniques, and demonstrated impact.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you drawn to Wordsmith AI and our mission in legal tech?" Show you've researched the company and understand the problem they're solving.

• "How do you handle working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where priorities can shift?" Emphasize your adaptability, ownership, and ability to manage competing demands.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize work that demonstrates product storytelling, system thinking, or effective use of AI.

• Narrative Structure: For each project, tell a story: the problem, your approach, the solution, and the impact. Use clear, concise language.

• Process & Tools: Be prepared to discuss your tools, techniques, and any operational efficiencies you implemented.

• AI Integration: Clearly call out any projects where AI played a significant role and explain the benefits.

• Conciseness: Respect time limits. Practice your presentation to be engaging and informative without being overly lengthy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview will likely assess your ability to think strategically about motion design's role in business growth, your capacity for building scalable systems, and your comfort with AI-driven workflows, in addition to core creative skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this motion design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio clearly highlights your experience in product storytelling, system building, and your ability to simplify complex concepts visually. Tailor your best work to showcase relevance to a tech/AI company.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize quantifiable achievements, years of experience, specific software proficiencies (After Effects, Figma, Premiere), and any experience with AI tools or system creation. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your creative process, your approach to building operational systems within design, and your vision for motion at Wordsmith AI. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Wordsmith AI's product, mission, and recent news. Understand their target audience and the challenges of the legal tech industry. Prepare thoughtful questions for the interviewers.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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