Curriculum Branding
Open Network (Life.Church) is a global platform providing free curriculum, training, and resources for churches and ministry leaders worldwide.
The Bible Stories curriculum contains 100+ short films designed for classroom use. The trailer serves as the primary entry point for kids ministry teams evaluating the library.
• Role – Motion Design Lead
Owned end-to-end creative execution from concept development through storyboarding, animation, and final delivery.
• Tools – After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere Pro
Problem
Over time, the Bible Stories curriculum grew into a large, multi year library spanning all 66 books of the Bible. While the depth was a strength, it introduced three challenges:
• Low hierarchy
First-time viewers struggled to quickly understand structure and scope.
• Inconsistent impression
Mixed legacy styles created a fragmented and occasionally dated feel.
• No clear entry point
Without a strong “front door,” the library’s value was not immediately communicated.
Approach
Create a concise, engaging hero video that serves as a visual entry point, helping kids ministry teams quickly understand the scope of the library and feel confident exploring it further.
The trailer was structured around three defining attributes of the library:
• Clarity
Content is easy to follow and appropriate for its intended age group.
• Engagement
Stories feel fun, energetic, and visually dynamic.
• Trust
Content faithfully illustrates biblical truth.
This framing allowed a diverse set of videos to be introduced through a consistent lens before users interacted with the full library.
Curation & Cohesion
With a large, multi year content library, the challenge was not creating new assets, but establishing visual coherence and a modern tone using existing materials, while maintaining consistency within the established brand system. This required auditing a massive, unorganized library to curate a subset of content that could represent the future direction of the curriculum.
• Establishing Classroom Ready Tone
The trailer opens by grounding the experience in real classroom environments. Bright, playful color palettes, paper inspired textures, and organic motion were used to create an immediate sense of warmth and approachability. These early visual cues were designed to signal classroom readiness within the first moments of the video.
• Balancing Variety with Consistency
Distinct visual treatments were used to express the three core attributes of the curriculum—clarity, engagement, and trust—reflecting the diversity of content available. Consistent pacing, typography, and transition behavior were applied across all sections to unify the experience and create continuity across varied visual styles.
• Communicating Scale with Visual Hierarchy
The curriculum spans all 66 books of the Bible and includes over 100 short films. To communicate this depth without overwhelming viewers, curated thumbnails were layered as a low opacity background element, paired with clear foreground messaging. This approach conveyed scale while preserving focus and readability.
• Reframing Perception Through Motion and Sound
Music selection and editorial pacing were intentionally used to reposition the curriculum. A fast, rhythmic, and upbeat track signaled energy and modernity, while stylized motion helped counter common perceptions of church media as traditional or formal. Together, these choices reinforced the curriculum as current, engaging, and relevant for today’s classroom.
Outcome
The trailer remains the primary entry point for the Bible Stories curriculum, helping kids ministry teams quickly understand tone, scope, and relevance before exploring the full library. Its continued use over multiple years reflects the trust placed in the piece as a durable and effective part of the curriculum experience.
Credits
Design Direction and Product Assets – Open Network (Life.Church)
Music – Sunny Fruit
