January, 2026.- For a long time, motion was treated as an add-on—something nice to have once the visual identity was already defined. That mindset no longer applies. In a world shaped by screens, feeds, and ever-expanding digital touchpoints, motion has become one of the clearest ways brands express who they are, how they behave, and what they stand for.
In this Roastbrief interview, John Szebegyinszki, Executive Producer at Vucko, reflects on the inflection point that reshaped the role of motion in branding. From the digital acceleration triggered by the pandemic to the rise of platforms like TikTok, Szebegyinszki explains why motion shifted from decorative execution to strategic foundation. As screens became the primary interface between brands and people, a critical gap emerged: strong visual systems without a defined motion language struggled to stay consistent, scalable, and coherent.
The conversation explores Vucko’s approach to building motion identities as long-term systems rather than one-off animations—frameworks designed to live across products, campaigns, environments, and evolving brand ecosystems. Drawing from ongoing collaborations with brands such as Google and Spotify, Szebegyinszki shows how motion can become an internal capability that improves speed, alignment, and creative freedom.
Looking ahead to 2026, the distinction will be clear: brands that truly move with purpose will be those that invest in durable motion systems, not trend-driven animation. Because in today’s landscape, movement isn’t just about motion—it’s about meaning.
- Motion has evolved from a supporting asset into a core brand language. From your perspective, what fundamentally changed and why is motion now central to how brands express who they are?
We saw the biggest shift happen during Covid when all brands had to rapidly expand their presence across digital all formats. Suddenly, screens were the primary point of contact, and motion was no longer an accent. It was a pillar for how brands communicated.
At the same time, the volume of deliverables increased dramatically. More platforms, more formats, more teams involved. That pressure exposed a gap. Visual identity systems were often well defined, but motion was not. Without a clear motion identity, consistency became harder to maintain across channels.
We also saw the rise of platforms like TikTok during this period. These environments reward brands that can communicate personality, values, and clarity in seconds, further accelerating motion’s role as a primary brand language.
- VUCKO is known for building motion identities rather than one-off executions. When working with brands like Google or Spotify, what does the process look like behind the scenes to turn motion into a scalable system?
The work is grounded in close collaboration with in-house teams. We function as an extension of those teams, which allows us to build systems that reflect how the brand actually operates.
The process starts with discovery. We look at the brand holistically. Its history, culture, existing identity, and where motion already shows up. Just as important, we look at who needs to use the system day to day.
From there, we work with teams to define a roadmap that defines how the brand moves, not just how it looks. Principles and behaviors are then stress-tested across real contexts, including brand, product, campaigns, events, and regional needs.
What comes out of that work is a motion identity system, typically documented through clear guidelines and supported by toolkits and templates. These are designed to be used by a wide range of internal and external partners without constant oversight.
In both instances with Google and Spotify, an added benefit has been our long-standing relationships with their brand teams. These partnerships and our deep understanding of them keep us closely involved as their needs shift, giving us a seat at the table and the ability to evolve their motion identities through these changes over the long term.
- You’ve said that many brands are still “thinking too small” about motion. What are the most common limitations you see in how brands approach motion today, especially in a feed-first world?
The most common limitation is treating motion as something separate from the brand system. Many teams invest heavily in visual identity, but motion is either missing from the guidelines or addressed inconsistently.
That leads to teams starting from scratch every time motion is needed, whether for a campaign, a product moment, or a regional activation. When multiple teams and partners are involved, this creates fragmentation across the brand ecosystem.
In a feed-first world, those inconsistencies become very visible. Even when individual pieces are well crafted, the brand can feel disconnected overall because there is no shared motion language holding it together.
- As first impressions increasingly happen on six-inch screens, how do you design motion systems that are platform-agnostic and capable of living beyond social, into products, spaces, and long-term brand ecosystems?
This starts on day one by looking at the brand holistically. We study its visual and verbal identity, the environments it operates in, and the teams responsible for execution. Motion has to work across very different contexts, so the focus is on defining a foundation that can scale without losing character. Not every use case is defined upfront, and that’s intentional.
When we began working on Google Cloud Next in 2022, the goal was to establish a motion system that could grow over time. That foundation proved valuable as the work expanded into larger and more complex activations, including out-of-home and large-scale environments like The Sphere.
Because the motion identity was already in place, teams were able to move faster, production partners stayed aligned, and complexity was reduced even as the work scaled. Over time, that system became a core asset. It improved speed to market, reduced friction across teams, and allowed creatives to focus more on execution rather than alignment.
- Collaboration is a defining part of VUCKO’s process. How do you effectively embed with in-house brand teams to ensure motion becomes an internal capability rather than just an external deliverable?
There’s no single model for collaboration because every organization is different. Embedding effectively means adapting to existing structures and workflows while becoming a trusted extension of the team.
At the core, it comes down to open and honest conversations. We try not to be precious about ideas. Putting everything on the table and inviting discussion leads to stronger systems and shared ownership. It’s also critical to involve the teams who will actually use the motion system; when those groups are aligned, motion can function as a lasting capability rather than a one-off deliverable.
- Looking ahead to 2026, what do you believe will separate brands that truly move with purpose from those that simply animate, particularly as motion, technology, and brand systems continue to converge?
The difference will come down to intent and longevity. Brands that move with purpose will have motion identities that are designed as systems, not reactions to trends.
More teams are recognizing that motion systems are not just creatively valuable, but operationally effective. They save time, reduce friction, and give teams more freedom to focus on new ideas while staying consistent. The strongest brands will be the ones that design motion systems with durability in mind.
