Motion Design and 3D Animation in Singapore’s Urban Spaces: What’s Changing

We’ve been thinking a lot about how creative studios can help shape Singapore’s next chapter.

Not in a “what should we sell next” way, but in a deeper, more uncomfortable way:

What role can motion design and digital experiences play in how a city feels, not just how it functions?

If you’re a brand, developer, or organisation exploring how motion design and 3D animation can live meaningfully in public spaces in Singapore, this question matters more than ever.

Rethinking The Role of a Creative Studio for Brands

As a Singapore-based motion design and 3D animation studio, we spend a lot of time discussing about evolution.

Not just technical evolution but intent.

How do we grow without becoming noise?

How do we create work that performs commercially, yet still respects the spaces, functions and people it lives among?

A recent project outside Singapore helped with that thinking.

What We Learnt from a Large-Scale Activation in Melbourne

Earlier this year, we completed a large-scale digital activation for Samsung at Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station.

The site sees close to 300,000 people daily, making it one of Australia’s busiest transport hubs. The activation combined large-format LED screen content, motion design, and 3D animation, designed to exist within the rhythm of the city rather than compete with it.

While the project was commercial in nature, it highlighted something more fundamental:

Urban spaces are no longer purely architectural.

They’re becoming layered environments, where motion, light, sound, and technology actively shape how people experience a place.

Why This Matters for Singapore

Singapore is uniquely positioned for this shift.

As one of Asia’s fastest-growing and most resilient cities, Singapore has always treated urban planning seriously — from greenery and transport to density and flow.

In recent years, we’ve also seen growing interest in:

• LED façades
• Immersive digital installations
• Screen-based experiences in transport hubs and mixed-use developments

What’s changing is way beyond what's on the screens. It is more of how thoughtfully they’re being integrated to serve the function.

When motion design is treated as part of the environment, not just “content”, it enhances wayfinding, storytelling, and cultural expression rather than distract from it.

Motion Graphics as a Design Material

This leads to a question we often discuss internally:

Could motion be considered a design material — alongside architecture, greenery, and light?

Motion introduces time, emotion, and narrative into static spaces. It can guide attention, communicate meaning, and create moments of pause — when used with restraint and intent.

As screen-based and immersive activations become more common across Singapore’s urban landscape, motion design may become a new layer of communication that connects people, culture, and commerce.

The Responsibility of Working in Public Space

At Ellie Motion, we work across motion design, 3D animation, and AI-assisted visuals, often for large-format LED screens and immersive digital activations.

Working in public display carries a different kind of responsibility.

These are not private feeds or personal devices.

They’re shared environments.

The goal isn’t so much to be louder. It’s to be clearer, calmer, and more human.

As a small city-state, Singapore needs digital experiences that respect context, audience flow, and the city’s evolving identity.

Looking Ahead

As Singapore continues to evolve its urban spaces, we believe motion design and 3D animation will play an increasingly meaningful role in shaping how the city looks, feels, and communicates.

Motion design is not a mere decoration nor a novelty.

We see this as an intentional layer of urban design.

We’re excited to contribute to that future thoughtfully, collaboratively, and with care.

Ellie Motion is a Singapore-based creative studio working at the intersection of motion design, 3D animation, and AI, with a focus on screen-based and immersive digital experiences for brands and public spaces.

If you’re exploring how motion can live meaningfully within architecture or urban environments, we regularly share insights and case studies on this evolving space.