Motion Promotion: Ben Korda

Kicking off our Motion Promotion interview series: A conversation with John Palowski & Ben Korda.

We’re excited to launch the first in our Motion Promotion interview series—spotlighting stories, insights, and creative journeys from the very first cohorts of our Motion Design course.

To kick things off, John Palowski, Shillington’s Director of Curriculum, is joined by Ben Korda, a recent Motion graduate. John shares his vision behind building the Motion course from the ground up, while Ben reflects on what it was like to dive into motion for the first time and how it’s already reshaped his creative practice.

From balancing life and learning to navigating After Effects for the first time, this interview is packed with reflections, takeaways, and inspiration for anyone curious about adding motion to their design skillset.

Stay tuned, this is just the beginning.

John Palowski: So Ben, what brought you to finding the Shillington Motion for Graphic Designers course?

Ben Korda:

Yeah, so as an Shillington alumni, it came onto my radar when I received an email from Shillington. It was the first-ever motion design course you guys had offered, and I thought that was really exciting because it had been over a decade since I trained as a graphic designer, and that experience had really kickstarted my career. So when this came up, I wanted to jump at the opportunity.

It was great because I was able to start using the skills almost immediately, even during the course. I was already applying them to work with my clients.

JP:

Fantastic. So when you signed up for the course, what else were you juggling in life at the time?

BK:

What was I juggling in life? Quite a lot. I have twin babies who are nearly two—they were about a year and a half when I started the course, and a bit younger when I signed up. So that definitely made me think, but it was all possible.

Obviously, on top of that, I had my usual workload as well. I mean, it was never going to be an easy three months, right? But that’s the whole point—you’re not going to really grow or push yourself if it’s too easy.

So yeah, it was possible, it was flexible, and most importantly, it was doable.

JP:

You mentioned your work just then, where are you based and where are your clients based?

BK:

I'm based in Ecuador in South America, just sandwiched in the middle of Colombia and Peru. My clients are mainly based in the US, but I also have some in the UK and in South Africa as well.

JP:

Fantastic. So how did the online learning format with live classes suit your location and the needs?

BK:

I wouldn’t have been able to do it, if I’m honest, without the online learning format. Everything I do is remote. As I mentioned, my clients are spread across North America, South Africa, and the UK.

And honestly, I really enjoy working remotely—I like studying remotely too. I think it’s a great way to learn from people in different places and cultures, and to soak that in as inspiration for my own work.

JP:

So once you got into the course, was there anything that struck you (in a good way) about the format? And was it different from any of your previous learning experiences?

BK:

Something that did strike me was that, even though everything was online, everyone gelled really quickly, which was really nice. People became supportive really early on. I feel like having the group Slack channel helped with that a lot.

On top of that, the video recaps were super helpful. Like a lot of people, I don’t always get things the first time, especially with software like After Effects, right? There’s just so much to take in, and sometimes you need a little reminder: 'How did I do that thing?' or 'What’s going wrong here?'

Having the tutors record the video recaps in advance meant they were ready as soon as the class finished. If I needed to double-check something that didn’t get asked during class, it was always right there.

JP:

Wonderful. And what were the key skills that you personally took from the course and completing your major project?

BK:

I mean, obviously my main new key skill is learning how to use After Effects and having that demystified for me. I had tried to use it before, but it can be pretty intimidating when you don’t know what you’re doing. So having it broken down was really helpful.

Also, just things like how to talk about animation, right? Learning how to discuss expectations with clients, and how to communicate your vision for movement—that was a really interesting insight and learning experience.

And to be honest, a lot of my work over the past three or four years has just been me. I’ve tended to be the only designer on my projects. So it was really nice to get back into that almost studio-like atmosphere—working alongside other designers, bouncing ideas around.

Even little things like, ‘Oh yeah, I forgot Photoshop did that,’ or ‘That’s a new Illustrator shortcut, cool!’ Those kinds of moments. It’s not just about After Effects—it’s about reconnecting with the wider design process, too.

JP:

And finally, do you have any particular fond memories from the course?

BK:

Lots, lots. Yeah, absolutely. One thing I really enjoyed was the team activities—going into breakout rooms with a small group of other designers, figuring out how we were going to approach the project together, what direction to take, etc. That was really fun.

It also helped me expand my network and get to know other designers from around the world. Presenting, too (both giving presentations and seeing others’ work) was a great part of the experience.

Yeah, all of the above. I have so many fond memories—too many to count, really. A lot was packed into those three months!

JP:

Fantastic. Right, nice one. Thanks Ben.

Check out Ben's website and Linkedin!