Additive manufacturing offers opportunities for designed mechanical deformation within parts by integrating lattice structures into their designs. This work re-analyses and translates data on lattice structure deformation behaviours into a novel taxonomy, enabling their actions to be understood and controlled. Parallels between these actions and the four basic types of mechanical motion are identified. Creating a taxonomy method using these motions enables the future development of a DfAM framework that assimilates controlled anisotropy via lattices and aids the design of compliant mechanisms.