Hey Creatives!
First of all, welcome new subscribers! It is so good to have you here. There has never been a better time to join a creative community than during these monumental shifts in our field. I’m glad you’re here.
I want to officially welcome you; come say hi in the Official Discord Channel or DM me on LinkedIn.
Now, since we last spoke, the industry has gone through some massive changes due to AI. But it remains to be seen how much of it is truly long-lasting. Claude Design, Google Stitch, Remotion, HyperFrames—I’ve been deep-diving into these over the last few months. They are powerful for execution, but they come with heavy caveats. You often find yourself stuck in manual adjustment loops or bug-fixes that lead nowhere, especially when you need a model to follow a strict brand system or a specific design brief.
When it comes to AI motion, we’re still miles away from real, orchestrated, and tasteful animation. For something quick and simple? Sure. For a design-driven masterpiece? Not yet.
But here is the flip side.
While I’ve been critical of AI as a "push-button" designer, I’ve found it to be an absolute superpower when treated as an engine for building. Instead of asking AI to be the artist, I’ve been using it to build the tools that protect the artist.
I’ve been quietly building a suite of internal tools, powered by my Product Design Experience to solve my own creative bottlenecks, and as a gift to all of you for being part of this launch, I’m sharing the first one today for free. It’s an open-source app I built called FlashLearn, designed to help us absorb complex technical specs at 10x speed so we can get back to the actual craft.
The future isn't just about moving pixels; it’s about building the portals that get us there. My recent Rive & Contra HMI Challenge is a perfect example—it showcases what a designer can do with real intent, brand alignment, and the right technical systems in place.
More about the NASA project, the FlashLearn gift, and this week's resources below!
Now, let’s enter the portal.
Asquare
_📺_YouTube Learning
My latest YouTube video is live and packed with insights!
In this one I breakdown the secrets behind Johnny Harris’s Animation & Storytelling Techniques that make his videos so special, its almost an hour long - its kind of like a masterclass with so many pro tips and tricks and its all for free, I also gave away After Effects Project Files with all assets for free, check it out!
By the way I’ve launched a Patreon! more on this later.
Also, I just started a Discord server — a creative space to connect, share, and grow together with other creators like you, get opportunities to share your work and inspiration with the community and get a early access and additional benefits!
🚚 Creative Resources
🚚 FlashLearn: Open-Source AI Study Partner
I’m opening up the hood on FlashLearn, an internal tool I built to bridge the gap between “consuming” and “absorbing” information. It’s a desktop study app that takes any PDF and instantly generates AI-powered true/false flashcards and audio lessons. If you’re a designer trying to stay literate in new technical specs (like Rive or Cavalry) while you’re on the move, this is for you. It’s open-source, built for the community, and designed to make deep learning a friction-less habit.
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Use Case: Rapidly absorb software manuals or design theory.
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Link: FlashLearn
✨Creative Inspiration
The "Gem of the Week": Visite Amazônia ✨
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Why it matters:** This project is a masterclass in why AI cannot—and will not—replace the designer. While AI models are getting better at generating imagery, they lack the intentionality and orchestrated sensory experience found here. This isn’t just a website; it’s an immersive narrative.
The seamless integration of high-end scrollytelling, organic motion systems, and a perfectly paced soundscape creates an emotional connection that a prompt alone can’t replicate. It shows that “Real Intent” and “Taste” are our ultimate moats. If you want to see what happens when human art direction meets technical precision, this is the portal you need to enter.
The Lesson: Don’t just look at the visuals. Look at the pacing. Notice how the motion guides your eyes exactly where the designer wants them. AI can give you “pixels,” but only a designer can give you “presence.”
🎨In the Studio
Last month I spent weeks building a lunar interface for the Rive & Contra challenge. It’s a deep dive into state machines and functional motion. You can see the full breakdown and the interactive prototype here: NASA HMI
🎆Work with me
Work with me: I'm currently opening up 2 spots for custom explainer animations and interactive motion systems for June. If you have a project that needs a "Creative Architect" approach, just reply to this email, get on a call with me here - https://www.asquareportal.com/contact
or find me on LinkedIn.
🌍Be a Part of the Community & Patreon!
💡 Support the Journey
If you want to fuel the deep dives and get under the hood of my process, consider joining the Patreon. You’ll get access to the Official Discord, my YouTube project files, and the Motion Design Portal—a members-only show where I deconstruct and rebuild industry-leading animation styles from scratch.
check it out and join the portal!
Quick Links
• 🌐 Asquareportal
• 🎥 Watch the latest YouTube video on Mastering Visual Storytelling
• 🎨 Join the Asquareportal Discord community
• 👑 Patreon