Designers can move static brand assets from Figma into After Effects and craft cinematic reveals by applying clear motion design guidelines. This piece covers building a consistent motion system, exporting assets cleanly, animating logo and brand elements, and delivering production ready files. Follow practical naming, timing, and testing steps to make brand animation feel intentional and polished.

Establish a motion system in Figma — motion design guidelines

Create a single source of truth for motion tokens and component states inside Figma before animation work begins. This reduces rework and keeps the graphic design system cohesive. Define motion tokens for duration, easing, delay, and scale with consistent names like –motion-duration-base.

Motion tokens and timing: Figma to After Effects

Create component variants for default, hover, active, intro, and exit. Map timing scales to micro (80–150ms), medium (250–500ms), and macro (700–1200ms). Figma’s Motion Specs Creator plugin exports timing and easing, making Figma to After Effects handoff cleaner.

Sketch storyboards and key moments to lock choreography early. That practice helps brand animation feel intentional. Review your token table against the motion design guidelines before you animate.

Deliverables:

• Token spreadsheet and Figma styles page (see our Figma variables and design tokens guide for examples)
• Annotated components with motion notes
• Simple prototype showing state transitions

Keep tokens consistent to speed the Figma to After Effects transfer. Tweak timing so the brand animation reads clearly on first glance.

Prepare files for Figma to After Effects transfer

graphic design handoffs are easier when files are tidy. Name layers clearly. Use semantic names like logo_main and hero_bg.

When prepping for Figma to After Effects export, separate vectors and bitmaps. Export SVGs for shapes and PNGs for masked photos.

Follow simple motion design guidelines: clean groups, clear precomp candidates, and documented timings. Flatten tricky masks and convert complex booleans to paths if plugins struggle.

For crisp brand animation, export SVGs for logos and keep mark and type separate. AEUX preserves vectors and speeds transfers, keeping your work editable.

• Clean layer names
• Group elements into precomp candidates
• Document intended timings and easing

Choose AEUX or Figma-to-AE plugins when you need fidelity. Consider Lottie for small multiplatform pieces, but test feature limits. For asset workflows, consult smart asset pipelines.

Create motion design guidelines for brand reveal

Start by naming the motion language you want. Keep rules tight and repeatable. A fresh fact: kinetic typography and “analog” collages lead motion trends for 2025, and tools are adding AI-assisted flows. Use a short glossary to lock tone.

Figma to After Effects handoff rules

Pick a reveal archetype like wipe, scale burst, or particle emergence. Set simple easing rules for intros and exits. Animate focal elements first, then stagger secondary details to guide the eye. Define how gradients, glows, and flares behave so color stays true during motion.

Document these graphic design choices alongside AI agents notes and your visual identity rules. Save the motion spec with steps for the creative process and samples of logos. Include tokens for durations as branding strategy assets and examples of digital artwork. Link the specs to your cohesive brand kit guidance. Provide exported keyframes and JSON for design tools. Add a low-motion fallback and mention photo booth templates if needed.

Animate test and deliver for production — Figma to After Effects

Translate specs into layered comps and keep builds modular for reuse. Stick to clear motion design guidelines so timing stays consistent.

Build in After Effects

Group related elements into precomps to keep the main timeline tidy. Use null controllers and expression rigs for easy retiming. Pull assets over from Figma with a solid design tools handoff. After Effects 2025 added over 90 new effects and transitions, which can speed creative iterations.

Practical touches

Use motion blur and subtle depth to sell realism. Balance realism with render weight. Preview on multiple devices and color profiles to catch issues early. Follow the motion design guidelines you set for spacing and tempo.

Export and delivery

• Provide MP4 H.264, ProRes, and Lottie or animated SVG where useful.
• Include a spec package with the source AE file, exports, spritesheets, and a short README. Consider using smart asset pipelines for reusable outputs.
• Validate playback, retime when needed, and confirm options for reduced motion in client builds for smooth brand animation.

Final words

A repeatable Figma to After Effects workflow anchored by clear motion design guidelines cuts iteration time and produces consistent brand animation. Start with a documented motion system in Figma, prepare assets with strict naming, and animate with modular comps in After Effects. Deliver a tidy handoff with files and specs so creative and engineering teams can reproduce the reveal across channels.