Motion graphics, animation and stills for The New York Times
NEW YORK TIMES
The New York Times is one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world. Joe Mortell, former Senior Designer at the NYT, was responsible for hiring freelancers and creatives to put together editorial articles — and he chose Nickelfox for a high-profile paid post.
Nickelfox was engaged to create graphics and animations, actively participating in ideation and delivering a mix of video and still content that met the exacting standards of the world's leading newspaper.
5.0 / 5.0
Clutch Rating
Nov–Dec 2018
Engagement
$50K–$70K
Investment
Publishing
Industry
THE CHALLENGE
The New York Times needed a skilled creative partner to produce graphics and animations for one of their sponsored paid posts. The standard for visual content at the NYT is exceptionally high — every deliverable had to match the publication's reputation for quality and editorial integrity.
Rather than simply handing over a finished brief, the NYT team wanted a collaborator who could contribute at the ideas stage too — adding creative input before a single frame was produced.
OUR APPROACH
Nickelfox took a collaborative, hands-on approach — joining the project at the ideation stage and remaining closely involved until every deliverable was signed off, managing the workflow through Trello and staying in frequent contact throughout.
Nickelfox actively participated in the ideation phase — contributing original ideas to the New York Times editorial team's rough outline rather than simply executing a brief.
Produced high-quality animated deliverables showcasing deep expertise in motion graphics — bringing editorial content to life with smooth, professionally crafted animations.
Delivered a combination of video animations and still graphics tailored precisely to the requirements of the paid post, ensuring visual consistency across all formats.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The team was in touch quite frequently throughout the project. Trello was used to manage tasks and track progress, giving the NYT team full visibility at every stage.
Whenever edits needed to be made quickly, Nickelfox was always on hand. Any feedback on their work was always handled speedily — a quality that Joe Mortell specifically highlighted as one of the most impressive aspects of the engagement.
Joe's recommendation to future customers: “Have a preliminary call and discuss the project. See if they have any ideas of their own — it was really valuable to hear their feedback on the animation ideas.”
IMPACT & RESULTS
The final deliverables were well received and made for a positive engagement. The NYT team felt all of the work came out great — and awarded Nickelfox a perfect 5.0 rating across every metric on Clutch.
All work was reviewed positively in internal New York Times team meetings, with the editorial team satisfied that every piece met the standard expected of the publication.
Whenever changes were needed quickly, the Nickelfox team was always on hand to action them immediately — a flexibility that the NYT team found invaluable throughout the project.
The team came up with great ideas on the fly — not just executing instructions, but actively adding creative value throughout every stage of the engagement.
They had a great amount of knowledge about animation. They came up with great ideas on the fly. Whenever edits needed to be made, they got them done on time.
Joe Mortell
Former Senior Designer, The New York Times
CONCLUSION
Producing motion graphics and animation for The New York Times is a mark of creative confidence and technical depth. Nickelfox delivered not just on the brief, but beyond it — bringing ideas, flexibility, and craft to one of the most demanding publications in the world.
This engagement is proof that Nickelfox's capabilities extend well beyond software development — combining a design-led mindset with the agility to perform under the expectations of world-class editorial teams.
