Squishy 3D textures—Why is “squishiness” trending in the world of 3D and motion design?

There’s something squishy going on out there in the world of 3D and motion design. And there’s a lot of boingy happening too. And it’s all delightful, bright, and lovely to look at. Who’s doing this, and why is it happening? Let’s delve in.

Where did this all start? One of the first examples in motion design (and one of the more famous) was the first of the BBC Two idents, from their brand refresh of 2018: BBC2 Ident Sizzle 7 Sec Selection. 

This piece, titled “Feel Good,” was a collaboration between designer David McLoed and the agency Superunion. What makes it stand out is the random and chaotic nature of the shapes, which still have enough control to form the key shape and give the piece purpose. The combination of the two and how they pull against each other is what gives it such charm.

More recently, an artist who has developed a reputation for 3D textures squishy work is Timea Balo (aka TimTim).

Her pieces really utilize all the technological advances that we’ve seen in the years since those 2018 incidents (more on this later). 

This piece shows how the look has evolved, from the squidgy to intricate fabric 3D textures that you can almost reach out and touch. As such, a lot of this work feels more like art than design. Made purely for pleasure, although this is helped when major brands start to take notice. 

Who came first (though who cares, really) is something you wonder when you see the work of Ben Fearnley. It’s lovely stuff. And despite being static, will be using the same—or at least very similar—techniques and tools.

E.J. Hassenfratz, or Eyedesyn needs no introduction to anyone familiar with Mograph. This lovely “squooshy” piece (comment courtesy of @shellinmotion) even has a tutorial showing how it’s achieved (spoiler: it’s Cinema 4D, playing with the deformers).

You can see here talk of “soft body dynamics,” a tool within the software….leading us nicely to the science bit.

Other artists like Ben Marriott have helped push motion design into the mainstream with their accessible tutorials and distinct animated styles, which, while not always “squishy,” share the same attention to motion, texture, and playful experimentation.

Why this is all happening is definitely a question to debate, but one contributing factor is advancements in 3D software allowing squishiness to be produced so well.

These improvements are part of a broader evolution fueled by generative AI in 3D, which is reshaping how artists approach modeling, texture, and movement. This shift reflects some of the most exciting motion design trends right now — where AI-driven tools meet organic, handcrafted styles. Designers are refining their AI motion design workflows, blending automation with tactile, human detail.

Take another artist exploring this 3D design look: Vincent Schwenke from Munich.

I asked him to let us in on what this work means to him. 

“The piece represents a juxtaposition of nature and technology, organic life morphing with artificial shapes,” says Vincent Schwenke. “It’s a fluid exploration of the balance between control and chaos—something that comes across in the smooth transitions between textures and materials. There’s also a playfulness to the design, especially in the way the elements float and interact as if they’re part of a spontaneous, evolving process.”

This details nicely what is so pleasing about these pieces. It’s the smoothness of the transitions between shapes. We’ve even been partial to a bit of this dynamic work ourselves. We worked in the MightyGiant studio on a group of idents for Studio North in Manchester this year, and the balloon effect you can see here uses this same technology.

Generating these kinds of pieces of work used to be the stuff of nightmares! The thought of a graphics processor computing all the variables needed, plus the render times involved, would put many off.  

But it’s not all down to plug-ins and tech. There is art and craft in the anticipation, and the skills to capture something that looks real and has a soft, tactile aesthetic are hard to master. 

The easing of keyframes has been a part of animation since its very first days. This is the part that allows motion to trigger anticipation. And now we have the tools to help artists achieve this. The software uses simulations with force strength falloffs to control where the shapes bulge and deform. 

Cinema 4D has had these tools for a while, and their mograph suite improves with every version. These tools help control the easing of simulations or mograph effects. 

Having more accessible software has also allowed more artists to experiment with the squishy look. Where once you’d need high-end and less affordable pieces of software, we now have free players like Blender in the mix. Having this free tool as a gateway also means the learning curve for more complex tools like Houdini isn’t as steep as it once was. Houdini used to be the preserve of VFX studios but is now something that smaller studios and individuals can work with. Their node-based systems are perfectly built to allow this kind of simulated work.

Back to David Mcloed, who we started with, to look at where this is going next. 

Here, he is using Houdini, a node-based software that takes these pieces of art to another level. It allows freedom without constraints and means the rules on how shapes interact simply fly out of the window.

In many instances, the work generates the work. Objects trigger actions, and the craft becomes an eye for what’s right and what isn’t, as well as a deep understanding of what the technology will allow you to do.

And that’s a wrap! While you’re here, check out how Emonee LaRussa created an epic video in eight hours using Envato or what advice Julia Chetwood has for becoming a motion designer. Or, explore Envato’s massive library of 3D design assets to start creating today!