Dentsu Media Trends Report 2026

Client: Dentsu Global  Role: Motion Designer

For the launch of Dentsu’s 2026 Media Trends Report, “Human Truths in the Algorithmic Era,” I animated a motion system of 15+ animations that brought the report’s insights to life. Each sequence turns Dentsu’s lines and circles into a choreography of connection, layered over human figures to show how people and data shape one another. The motion underscores the idea that innovation emerges from their harmony.

Motion Language

The animation builds on Dentsu’s “Innovating to Impact” design system, rooted in the creation of relationships. Dentsu is where people, ideas, and cultures connect to create new value. Circles represents the network assets: talent, technology, clients, and expertise, while lines signify the relationships between them. When connected, they spark innovation revealed through colored paths that weave new connections across the system.

Dentsu design language: circles for assets, a line for the relationship between them, and a green connected path for innovation

This project extends that philosophy into motion, merging human and data into one continuous field: neither mechanical nor fluid, but a harmony of precision and vitality, structured yet alive, deliberate yet naturally unfolding. They are not simply overlaid on the human form; they emerge with it, expressing data as an extension of the human self. 

Trend 1Search experience optimization takes over
Trend 2Digital delegation turns heads
Trend 3The friction paradox defines commerce
Trend 4Communities shape the narrative
Trend 5Shared memories hit different
Trend 6Business messaging takes off
Trend 7AI-generated audiences unlock consumer insight
Trend 8Attention gets a longer-term look
Trend 9Entertainment opens new brand avenues

Building
Motion Tools

To ensure brand precision and production speed across 15+ animations, I built a flexible motion rig for Dentsu’s circle-and-line system in After Effects. Instead of static assets, each shape was rigged with defined properties and constraints, enabling controlled but expressive movement.

The result was a consistent, easy-to-use toolkit that accelerated iteration, improved collaboration, and now serves as a reusable motion framework for future Dentsu work.

Integration
& Experience

On launch, the animations were integrated throughout the Media Trends microsite and digital campaign and also shown at their New York and London offices. They were also used across Dentsu’s agencies as assets for social media video posts.

Credits

Direction

Creative DirectorJeff Cott
Art DirectorSydney Otieno

Design & Animation

AnimationDesmond Du 😉

Post & Sound

Sound DesignRoxanne Kassapidis