Diana Ursachianu on Mastering Animation and Its Power to Tell a Story in Urban Design
“It doesn’t just illustrate what a place could look like, it shows how it feels to inhabit it, and how it can grow into something more inclusive, vibrant, and alive.”
This research project started as a way for me to capture the philosophy of our urban design studio—improving cities by remixing them. I explored this approach in projects like Bow Goods Yard, City Edge, and M-Nex. As cities grow, they often expand outwards or upwards, which can lead to inequality in how space is used and who it benefits.
I wanted to look at how we could transform existing spaces to better serve the changing needs of communities—whether that’s a town centre, a residential street, or an old industrial site.
To support this vision, the urban team created a toolkit for remixing everyday urban spaces. Mixing isn’t new—it’s what cities do best. But to communicate these transformations clearly, we had to choose the right medium. Animation turned out to be the most effective way to show how typical spaces could evolve over time through thoughtful design solutions.
For instance, when I explored the idea of remixing our suburbs, it was essential to highlight the shift from car-dominated streets to people-first environments filled with green spaces and safe routes for walking and cycling. A simple “before and after” image wouldn’t do justice to the transition. Animation allowed me to show that evolution in a way that felt more real and relatable.
Bringing illustrations to life through video also helped me tell the story of social change, like in a sequence about revitalising town centres. I built a narrative around an older man walking alone through a neglected town centre—gradually transforming the space around him by introducing new uses and community activities. Animation helped express the emotional shift that comes with reclaiming public space.
I used Procreate Dreams and iMovie to create the videos. While I’ve used Procreate before for illustration work within the ML office, this was my first time experimenting with Procreate Dreams. It took some time to get used to, but the app offers several features that made it easier to animate and bring stories to life. I’m hopeful that we’ll start integrating animation more regularly in future projects.
Animation also plays a key role in documenting long-term masterplans. These projects take years to fully materialize, and animation gives us a way to capture those ‘in-between’ stages—moments of change that are often lost in traditional representations. For example, in remixing industrial areas, I used video to show how a space could adapt throughout the day—offering a more complete picture of how people might use and experience it.
To me, that’s where the power of animation truly lies—it doesn’t just illustrate what a place could look like, it shows how it feels to inhabit it, and how it can grow into something more inclusive, vibrant, and alive.
Remixing_Full Video Website on Vimeo
Diana is an Architectural Assistant working with ML’s Urban Studio
