Motion Graphics garnered generally favorable reviews from music journalists, with common praises including the album's unique sound design.

His initial plan was "to make a synth pop record without any nostalgia" influenced by the works of Japanese technopop acts such as Yellow Magic Orchestra.

[1] Described by Max Pearl as "both eerily familiar and totally otherworldly," Motion Graphics regards the free feeling of accessing unlimited places due to technology, which is symbolized by the record's use of virtual instruments.

[3] Finlayson called Motion Graphics a happier version of the works he co-produced with producer Matthew Papich, known by his stage name as Co La, which was also a response to modern internet culture; the album's happy mood is showcased in the Sakamoto-inspired chord structures of tracks like "Lense", "Houzzfunction" and "Mezzotint Gliss" as well as the calm tenor vocals sung by Williams.

[2] Pitchfork reviewer Phillip Sherburne categorized Motion Graphics as a vaporwave release due to its commercial topic,[7] but Williams disagreed with this description and felt it was more of an ambient LP since he didn't use samples of corporate music or muzak on the album.

[3][5] In labeling the overall style of Motion Graphics, Joe Muggs of Bandcamp Daily wrote that it has hi-hat sounds similar to modern hip hop music, a "smash-and-grab attitude to sound-sources" common in grime, the tension of most movie soundtracks, and indie rock vocals, as well as elements of the works of Timbaland.

[9] Journalist Paul Simpson called it a more pop-influenced version of the works of James Ferraro and Oneohtrix Point Never, acts which have also used virtual MIDI instruments to create post-modern recordings.

[5] However, as journalist Colin Joyce wrote, "the movements are fast and flickering—a shuttering collision of sounds and styles that feels like it was generated from the disembodied guts of a rogue central processing unit.

[5] As Williams explained the random aspect of the record's structure: We live comfortably with this train of thought that gets divided so finely by however you designed your twitter feed.

For example, the closing track of Motion Graphics, "SoftBank Arcade (Swiftcode Version)", plays MIDI notes that are inputted by hits from a free jazz drum recording.

"[4] Journalist Aurora Mitchell wrote that Motion Graphics was unique from most synthpop records in that it had calm singing that actually complimented otherwise very loud sounds.

[4] As Sherburne described the lyrical content Williams sings on Motion Graphics, they "weave sticky semantic webs that join the natural world with its digital analog."

[17] Also on July 13, the music video for "Lenses" was released,[18] and is an animated version of Motion Graphics' cover art illustrated by Culture Sport and designed by Rob Carmichael.

[13][19] On August 5, 2016 The Fader premiered "Anyware", the album's second single, and its music video, which was also by Culture Sport and involves the character from the artwork jogging in "a dancing bear DNA sequence.

[31] In a more mixed review, Ryo Miyauchi of Medium wrote, "While nothing of his self-titled album quite gives way to sticky enough songs, how Motion Graphics carefully handles his materials is still something to praise.