The Motion Design Roadmap - How to Learn After Effects in 2026

🎓 Learn After Effects from scratch → https://link.animationexplained.com/aeexplained8

If I could start over, this is exactly how I'd learn motion design — in the right order, without the wasted time or gaps that come from piecing together random tutorials.

In this video I cover:
- Why random YouTube tutorials hold most beginners back
- The right order to learn After Effects, design fundamentals, and animation principles
- How personal projects fit into the learning process (and why starting with them is a mistake)
- How to build a portfolio that actually gets you hired

📋 Free guide — what you need to learn to master motion design → https://link.animationexplained.com/starterchecklist3

🎓 Take the first step: Learn After Effects and foundational animation concepts in my beginner course, After Effects, Explained. The course guides you through seven real-world projects that build into a final explainer animation. No prior experience needed. https://link.animationexplained.com/aeexplained8

Mentioned in this video:
🎬 Different animation software, explained → https://youtu.be/BFR3JtJdXcA
🎬 Mistakes I made learning motion design (so you don't have to) → https://youtu.be/YHN_auJU9Rs

🌐 animationexplained.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animationexplained
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/explanimated/

Chapters:
1:11 - Learn 1 Software
2:20 - Learn the Fundamentals
2:56 - Self-Directed Projects + Illustrator
3:57 - Animation Principles
4:25 - Communicating Through Motion
4:42 - Get Experience
7:02 - Build a Portfolio
8:04 - Soft Skills + Keeping Learning