ANCESTRY
CLIENT
Ancestry
DURATION
3 Weeks
ROLE
Motion Designer
DESCRIPTION
I was commissioned to create an animated explainer video demonstrating how to navigate and utilize Ancestry.com. To ensure accuracy, I explored the platform firsthand, building my own family tree to understand its tools and functionality. This video focused on the family history and record management features only, excluding its DNA services.
Rather than relying on basic screen recordings, the client wanted a more dynamic and visually compelling approach. To achieve this, I designed a sleek digital space using Ancestry’s brand colors, animating guided motion paths to transition between sections. Website screenshots were recreated in Adobe Illustrator for crisp, high-quality visuals that could be layered and animated within After Effects to demonstrate key features. The final video provided a clear and engaging walkthrough for new users while showcasing the platform’s extensive research tools to potential subscribers.
Ancestry.com is a leading platform which helps users uncover and preserve their family stories. With a vast digital archive, they offer access to digitized records, family tree building tools, and a collaborative research network, as well as DNA testing to explore ethnic origins and connect relatives.
INFOGRAPHIC:
The client opted not to include audio in the animation to maintain flexibility for future use - giving them the option to break the animation into segments for other promotional content, add captions, integrate voiceovers, or change the music as needed. This video includes a personally selected music track to enhance engagement, as well as a placeholder logo which I animated onto the end since I wasn't provided with the client's official logo animation. This makes the version presented here a director’s cut while maintaining the original animation as delivered to the client.
