Animations come to life when you start to deform objects. One rule of thumb is that when objects shrink in one direction, they often grow in the other; objects can also be compressed. Learn all about it in this tutorial!
If your animation feels a bit mechanical, it often helps to use curved motion paths instead of straight lines. But use this method wisely - making every move curved is not the solution!
One key to creating good animations is to understand how your brain perceives reality. Understand your brain and you will be able to create better motion graphics!