Motion Designer - Visual Identity and Design System

General Motors • New York, NY

10d

About The Position

At General Motors, we combine the energy of a startup with the reach of a global powerhouse. We design, build, and sell the world’s best vehicles and mobility solutions, guided by a bold vision of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. Achieving this future requires more than engineering—it requires design excellence at every level of experience. We’re looking for people who are passionate about shaping how a global brand behaves, communicates, and evolves through thoughtful, intentional design. The Role We’re seeking a Motion Designer to join our Brand Identity team, responsible for defining and evolving motion as a core pillar of the GM Design Language. In this role, you’ll help establish how the brand moves—using motion to express character, reinforce clarity, and create cohesive experiences across platforms. Motion at GM is treated as a purposeful design tool: supporting communication, usability, and storytelling rather than ornamentation. You’ll work at a systems level, developing motion principles, guidelines, and reusable assets that ensure consistency while allowing flexibility across digital products, marketing, vehicle interfaces, and emerging experiences. This role sits at the intersection of brand, product, and technology, collaborating closely with designers, strategists, and developers to embed motion deeply and thoughtfully into the GM ecosystem.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience in motion design, with a focus on brand identity, product ecosystems, or design systems
• A strong portfolio, online or shared privately, which demonstrates motion used intentionally to support brand expression, clarity, and storytelling
• Expert proficiency in Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro; experience with 3D tools such as Cinema 4D or Blender
• Strong foundation in visual design fundamentals, including typography, composition, timing, rhythm, and hierarchy
• Experience designing motion for digital products, UI, and interactive experiences
• Systems-level thinking with the ability to create motion solutions that scale across platforms and teams
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to articulate design rationale and present work to stakeholders
• Collaborative mindset with experience working closely with designers, developers, and cross-functional partners

Nice To Haves

• Experience contributing to or evolving a design system
• Familiarity with front-end or real-time environments (e.g., Lottie, Rive, Cavalry, web, in-vehicle systems)
• Experience mentoring other motion designers or helping build a motion practice

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve motion principles that express GM’s brand behavior, tone, and personality
• Design scalable motion systems—including guidelines, libraries, and toolkits—that support consistent application across teams and platforms
• Explore motion as a key form of brand expression across UI, marketing, storytelling, vehicle interfaces, and experiential touchpoints
• Design and produce high-quality 2D and 3D motion studies, prototypes, and reference animations
• Translate brand strategy and visual identity into clear, repeatable motion patterns and behaviors
• Collaborate closely with Visual Designers, UX/UI Designers, Brand Strategists, and Developers to integrate motion into design systems and products
• Develop sketches, storyboards, and motion explorations to communicate concepts clearly before production
• Ensure motion enhances usability and accessibility by guiding attention, hierarchy, and feedback
• Maintain consistency and quality while adapting motion systems to different contexts, platforms, and technical constraints
• Research, test, and thoughtfully apply new motion techniques and tools, keeping the brand current and relevant
• Contribute to documentation and standards that help scale motion design across the organization
• Provide feedback, guidance, and mentorship to elevate motion craft and consistency across teams

Benefits

• From day one, we're looking out for your well-being–at work and at home–so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed