Nicolas Ménard creates 18 animations for Facebook's Groups Discover feature

Nicolas Ménard has directed a series of 18 animations for Facebook to promote its Groups Discover feature, a function allowing users to browse suggested groups in their social circle or city.

In each one, Nicolas uses his knack for dynamic, charming characters, and a playful, energetic style to show the social benefits of being part of a Facebook group. One shows a group of students racing through tubes to join a study group; another shows characters snowballing down a hill to join a party. All of the films use flat illustrations and a simple palette of block colours.

The animator was commissioned by The Factory at Facebook, the company’s in-house creative studio, to design and direct the shorts, aimed at three audiences: new parents, parents of pre-schoolers and college students. Nexus Productions produced the films.

“It was a fun challenge to tell a story with a beginning, middle and end in the shortest amount of time possible,” says Nicolas. “Design wise, we had to find a balance between detail and simplicity so the images are quick to grasp, and animation wise, the right amount of snappiness to deliver those messages efficiently.”