Behind the design: crafting ROLI’s motion language to bring music to life.

We spoke with motion designer Georgia Harrison to dive into the creative journey behind ROLI’s motion language—a tactile, immersive experience rooted in the brand’s signature Five Dimensions of Touch. From initial sketches to a fully realised motion system, Georgia shares how the unique interactions of ROLI’s instruments inspired a motion theory that truly brings music to life.

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How did you start developing the motion language for ROLI, and what role did the Five Dimensions of Touch play in shaping the early concepts?

Working with founder Roland Lamb and the ROLI team we were able to explore the ways in which the instruments fused music with movement to bring more intention and narrative to the motion theory. First we had to play, make and create to see what worked.

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We explored the Five Dimensions of Touch early on in the process and kept drawing inspiration from them throughout the development. ROLI’s instruments (such as the Seaboard) are centred around these five touch interactions: Strike, Press, Glide, Slide, and Lift. These gestures offer a new way to express music, and we wanted to extend that tactile experience into our motion and visual language. We mirrored the subtle variations and responsiveness of playing the instruments in the motion, so that it would feel just as expressive, fluid, and responsive—almost as if it was being “played” like an instrument itself.

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What specific gestural controls in ROLI’s instruments influenced the motion behaviours you designed, and how did you translate those into the digital and marketing space?

Gestural controls like pitch bends and pressure sensitivity directly inspired our motion behaviours. For instance, the Glide gesture inspired fluid, wave-like animations that mimic continuous sound transitions. Translating the Five Dimensions of Touch visually was challenging, especially when creating characteristics that would differentiate Lift, Press, and Strike. But understanding these nuances helped us craft animations that would intricately reflect these gestures.

This understanding was essential for the brand across digital and marketing, where these gestures influence everything from UI interactions to video tutorials. You can see it clearly in our out-of-home examples, where the gestures guide the viewer through the motion story.

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Could you walk me through a key moment or breakthrough in the process where the motion language really began to take shape?

The breakthrough came when we fully embraced the Five Dimensions of Touch as the core principles. We realised that each gesture needed a distinct visual rhythm linked to its musical counterpart. For example, the Lift gesture led to fading animations that reflect the gradual release of sound. This was a turning point where syncing visual motion with sound gestures allowed them to truly come to life.

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What were the most challenging aspects of aligning the physical experience of playing a ROLI instrument with the digital motion language?

The challenge was capturing the tactile nuance visually, without losing the depth and human qualities. Understanding how gestures like Lift and Press differ was key to translating them authentically, with a sense of rhythm and grace. Pressure, in particular, was difficult to visualise, as it’s such a tactile sensation. We had to explore many ways to communicate this. Our goal was to keep the digital experience clean, intuitive, and responsive, without feeling disconnected from the instrument.

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“Every animation and interaction is tied to the sensory experience of playing.”

Georgia Harrison, Motion Designer, DixonBaxi

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How did you test or prototype different motion behaviours, and what techniques or tools did you use to ensure they felt authentic to ROLI’s brand and instruments?

We filmed both ourselves and professional musicians playing ROLI instruments to study the movement. Early prototypes involved tracking hand movements in After Effects and experimenting in Cinema4D to capture the natural pace and rhythm. This allowed us to create animations that felt aligned with the instrument, making sure to strike the right balane between authenticity and our own creative twists. The tests themselves were beautiful to look at with their imperfections. We wanted to keep hold of these while refining the language as part of the wider brand system.

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In what ways did collaboration with musicians or other creatives help shape the final motion design? Were there any insights from their input that shifted your approach?

Watching ROLI’s YouTube videos and consulting musicians within our team was invaluable. Their insights on timing and interaction helped ensure the motion synced with the music. For example, when designing the ROLI signature ident, understanding how musicians play the chords influenced the sequence and order of the visual II III keys icon, so that it felt completely natural as it played out.

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How do the principles behind “Feel Every Gesture in Motion” guide the animation’s rhythm, pacing, and interactions? Can you provide an example of how that manifests in a specific digital experience or marketing asset?

“Feel Every Gesture in Motion” is central to ROLI’s design. Every animation and interaction is tied to the sensory experience of playing. For instance, in the Seaboard intro film, fluid motions reflect the long Slide gesture musicians often use on the instrument.

Our five motion behaviours are designed to be combined to create your own motion melodies. In our type animation, ‘Play Off Beat’, you can see how a combination of Strike, Strike, Strike, Slide and Lift turn into an elegant sequence that showcases a clear rhythm.

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Looking forward, how do you see the motion language evolving as ROLI introduces new instruments or expands its product line? What potential do you see for the future of gestural-based motion design?

As ROLI introduces new instruments, the motion language has the potential to evolve significantly, particularly as new gestural interactions or multi-touch capabilities are introduced. Gesture sits at the core of their latest release, Airwave, opening up whole new avenues for this motion language to continue to unfurl. With the incorporation of AI and machine learning, there’s potential for motion design to become more dynamic and personalised, adapting to individual users’ playing styles. I think there’s enormous potential in exploring augmented and virtual reality, where physical gestures and digital interactions could intertwine even more seamlessly to create completely personal and tactile musical journeys.
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Check out the full ROLI brand here.

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