Zoe Crocker didn't arrive at motion design in a straight line. She was managing orchestras for Opera Australia, studying design on the side, when a chance meeting at a grad show pulled her toward a small studio called Never Sit Still. It was a brief for Sydney Dance Company — animating to music from the very first frame — that settled it. It felt less like pushing pixels, more like choreography.
Now a motion designer and director, Zoe thinks less about visual style and more about how she thinks: her taste, her instincts, her point of view. In an era where AI can replicate almost anything, she's betting that's where uniqueness really lives.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
Never Sit Still was formally my first role in the industry. Prior to working at NSS, I was in orchestra management for the Opera Australia Orchestra while studying Design in Visual Communication at UTS. I was planning on staying in that industry until Mike Tosetto (NSS’s Director and Founder) met me at the grad show and encouraged me to interview.
NSS was small then, just three of us, so I got a lot of hands-on mentorship, but it wasn’t until I worked on a brief for Sydney Dance Company that I stopped questioning whether I should have stayed in theatre.
What made that project different was that it was the first time I was animating to music from the beginning. It felt like I was doing choreography instead of pushing pixels (which was very appropriate). That’s where it really clicked for me. I felt like I understood the purpose and power of motion design in that moment, and realised I wanted to keep doing more of it.
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
Any time we’ve worked on a project where we have free rein, I learn the most about who I am as a creative. When I’m directing those projects, I almost always go through a phase of fear and doubt. I compare what I’m coming up with to work made by studios I admire and worry what I made doesn’t play in the same spaces.
But then when the work goes out into the world, it’s usually really well received. So the lesson I’ve taken from that is that I want to be different. Trying to replicate the people you look up to might feel safer, but it’s not how you build a unique voice.
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
There’s no such thing as a boring brief, or boring brand. Every project is an opportunity to solve a problem, the problem being: how creative can I be while still addressing client needs?
To me, being a professional creative is all about problem solving. If you genuinely enjoy that, you’ll almost always love what you do. Even when ideas get knocked back or the work gets pushed into a space you don’t particularly like, it becomes a challenge to do the best possible job within those constraints. That mindset keeps me engaged with all the content I work on.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
Having a unique voice is important, but personally I don’t put much emphasis on having a recognisable visual style.
Style can evolve, and we’re now dealing with the unknown impact AI will have on this given its ability to replicate. What’s harder to replicate is how you think: your taste, your instincts, your point of view, and the way you approach a problem.
That’s where uniqueness really lives.
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
It’s hard to answer this without talking about AI. It’s obviously going to play a huge role on two levels - the tools it introduces, and how we as an industry (and wider community) respond to it.
Right now, it’s still quite experimental. Different studios are using it in different ways, and audiences are reacting in real time. We’ve already seen examples where obviously AI-generated work has been panned, while at the same time there’s a renewed appreciation for craft, like stop motion or more tactile, physical processes.
What’s unclear is whether that’s a temporary reaction or a long-term shift. As AI becomes more sophisticated and less detectable, those attitudes might change.
Personally, I love seeing genuine human craft, and the effort that goes into making it. I hope that as an industry we continue to protect and champion it, no matter how integrated AI becomes in our society.
How much does your city influence your work?
I grew up spending a lot of time at the Sydney Opera House, watching musical theatre, orchestras, and live performance. Being surrounded by that kind of creativity definitely left an impression.
I think that’s where my connection between motion and performance comes from. That idea of choreography, timing, and emotion. So while it’s not always a direct visual reference, the influence shows up in how I think about movement and storytelling.
Tell us some of your favourite, creative professionals and inspiring places in your city!
What should emerging creative professionals keep in mind as they begin their design career?
The most important thing you can do when you’re starting out is learn as much as possible, and practice it straight away.
Don’t be precious about your work. Try to separate yourself from it so you can take on feedback without it feeling personal. In fact, actively chase feedback. If you’re not getting enough, go out and find it. Reach out to studios you admire and ask for folio reviews, or follow up on a failed interview and ask why.
Importantly, retain what you learn. Don’t put yourself in a position where someone has to give you the same note twice.