Basic Fast Forward Icon Animation (AE)

[Walter Soyka]

You’ve already identified the major pieces of this animation: setting the opacity (and maybe the blend mode), and animating the position.

You can use shape layers to create the triangles. Add a shape layer, then add a “Polystar Path” and a “Fill.” Set the Polystar Path type to “Polygon” instead of “Star,” use 3 points, and finally, add a Round Corners.

The nuance really comes in the animation curve. You’ll want to dig into the graph editor to get the feel of the motion right. Here’s an article to get you started:
https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/intro-to-the-graph-editor-in-after-effects

Also, you could use the Offset effect instead of animating the position of a shape directly to get the wrap-around effect.

schoolofmotion.com

Tutorial: Intro to the Graph Editor in After Effects

The graph editor is essential for creating smooth, organic animations in After Effects.

[Graham Quince]

Just posting, not really answering your question directly, but… if you are also looking for similar symbols, rather than draw shapes or masks, it is worth taking a look at FontAwesome.com The free fonts they have cover a lot of the standard icons you might be using.