How a single video project became a reusable animation framework for TD's ongoing financial literacy campaign — across platforms, languages, and future productions.
Deliverable
Motion Infographic System
Scope
EN + FR · 3 video sets
Role
Art Direction · Animation · Edit
The Challenge
Dense content, diverse audiences, no shared visual language.
Financial literacy videos had to teach budgeting, savings, and credit to a broad public audience — in two languages — without a defined motion system to build from.
Four core constraints
01
Complex concepts, accessible delivery
Financial topics like compound interest or debt-to-income ratios needed to land clearly for viewers with no finance background — in under 3 minutes per video.
02
Bilingual production at scale
Every video had to ship in English and French. That meant every layout, animation, and text element needed to flex for both — without two separate production pipelines.
03
Multiple teams, one brand voice
Copywriters, videographers, and creative directors were contributing in parallel. Motion decisions made in isolation risked fragmenting the final look and feel.
04
Built to outlast this project
TD's financial literacy programme was ongoing. Any system built had to be documented and reusable, so future productions could build on top — not start over.
Motion Principles · 01
The easing system
cubic-bezier( x1, y1, x2, y2 )
Tier 1 · Primary
Ease Out
cubic-bezier(0.33, 1, 0.68, 1)
Elements entering the frame — text reveals, icon appearances, data callouts. Fast start, soft landing. The default for all inbound motion.
↓ Enter · Appear · Reveal
Tier 2 · Transitions
Ease In-Out
cubic-bezier(0.65, 0, 0.35, 1)
Scene-to-scene transitions. Wipes, cross-fades, section changes. Symmetrical — no implied direction. Used for state changes rather than entrances or exits.
↔ Transition · Scene change
Tier 3 · Emphasis
Spring Bounce
cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1)
Stat callouts, key numbers, icon pops. Slight overshoot signals importance without being distracting. Reserved — maximum one usage per scene.
★ Emphasis only · Use sparingly
Motion Principles · 02
Duration & timing scale
Base unit: 100ms
Micro — feedback & emphasis
Icon pop / tap
80ms
80ms
Stat emphasis
120ms
120ms
Standard — element entrance / exit
Text reveal
200ms
200ms
Icon entrance
280ms
280ms
Bar / chart fill
360ms
360ms
Scene-level — section transitions
Scene fade / wipe
480ms
480ms
Full screen dissolve
600ms
600ms
Stagger delay between sequential elements: +80ms per item. No element exits before the next enters — overlap window of 40ms ensures continuity.
Motion Principles · 03
Transition grammar
8 named types · consistent across all scenes
Savings tips
Fade Up
Text intro · body copy · headers
3 steps
Slide In
Secondary info · supporting copy
20%
Scale Up
Stat callouts · key figures
Scene change
Green Wipe
Section transitions · brand moment
Stagger List
Bullet points · +80ms per item
$4,200
Count Up
Monetary values · percentages
Draw Path
Chart lines · trend diagrams
Icon Pop
Category icons · spring bounce
Motion Principles · 04
Colour as motion signal
Every colour change has a defined animation role
The palette in sequence
Background
TD Deep Green
#00573C
Wipe / bar
TD Green
#00835A
Highlight
Sage Mid
#3BAD82
Emphasis
Accent Gold
#F0B429
Type
Off White
#F9F8F5
Scene colour sequence
00:00
00:08
00:20
00:42
01:15
02:30
TD LOGO
03:00
Colour motion rules
01 · Green wipe = section break
A full-screen green wipe always signals a topic change. Never used mid-scene. Duration: 480ms ease-in-out.
02 · Accent gold = key stat only
Gold is reserved for the single most important number per scene. Spring entrance (0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1) — one use per module.
03 · White text = always fade up
All white type enters via fade-up (translateY 10px → 0, opacity 0 → 1). 200ms ease-out. No exceptions — creates the reading rhythm.
04 · Sage green = data + progress
Bar fills, chart lines, and progress indicators use sage mid. Animates left-to-right, 360ms ease-out. Signals positive direction and measurability.
Motion Principles · 05
Typography animation rules
Every text role has a fixed animation behaviour. Predictability = legibility. Audiences don't notice the motion — only the clarity it creates.
font-family: Instrument Sans (display)
font-family: Sequel Sans Roman Body (body, UI)
Role → Specimen → Animation
H1 / Title
Build a budget
fade-up 280ms ease-out
H2 / Section
Step 1: Track your income
fade-up 220ms +100ms delay
Stat / Number
$4,200
count-up spring 400ms
Body copy
Simple steps to help you understand where your money goes each month.
fade-up 200ms +180ms delay
Caption / Label
Source: TD Financial Literacy, 2023
fade 160ms last in queue
System Architecture
Reusable components
6 composable building blocks · built once, used everywhere
Smart Saving
Module 02 · Financial Literacy
Emergency Fund
3×
Monthly expenses
Section break
35%
Housing
20%
Savings
15%
Food
12%
Transport
Track income and expenses
Set a monthly savings goal
Review every 30 days
TD
td.com/financialliteracy
Learn More
System Impact
How the system scaled forward
v1 → inherited by all future TD video productions
System summary
3
easing curves in the system
8
named transition types
6
reusable components built in After Effects
2
languages — identical layout, adapted copy
Each future video inherited the easing library and component set — new productions required only copy + asset swaps, not re-animation from scratch.
Project inheritance chain
TD Money Management — Series 1
Jan 2023 · Origin project
Motion system built
6 components
EN + FR
v1.0 origin
TD Building Wealth — Series 2
Apr 2023
Inherited easing library
Inherited components
+1 new transition
85% reuse
TD Homebuyers — Series 3
Sep 2023
Full system inheritance
New topic modules
Draw-path added
90% reuse
Additional TD Video Projects
2023 – ongoing
System as base template
New team members onboard faster
System baseline
The system was adopted by the broader TD creative team because it was documented — not just built. Component notes, timing rules, and easing values were captured in a motion spec handoff.
Outcome
What a motion system actually buys you
01
Audience reads the content, not the motion
Consistent animation behaviour disappears into the background. Viewers focused on the financial concepts — not wondering why elements moved the way they did. That's the goal of a good system.
02
Bilingual production without double the work
Because the system separated motion logic from content, swapping copy from English to French required zero re-animation. The template held. Production time on Series 2 dropped significantly.
03
Future team inherits a motion language
New producers joining the campaign didn't need to figure out transition logic from scratch. The documented easing and timing spec acted as a creative brief — the system answered questions before they were asked.