Love them or hate them, life is full of decisions. Take buying a car; sure, you know you want a car - but do you need something small for the city, a car big enough to fit the whole family, or one with good fuel efficiency to keep motorway cruising cost-effective? 

Whiteboard animation is no different. There are six major styles of whiteboard animation, and that’s before you factor in the creative freedom of whiteboard videos and the way they can be tailored precisely to your needs. At We Are Cognitive, we’re whiteboard animation experts who helped pioneer the medium. In this blog, we’ll cover different whiteboard types of whiteboard animation and how they could help you. 

Classic Whiteboard Animation

Whiteboard animation has its roots in education, which is clear in the classic whiteboard animation style. This style celebrates the whiteboards of our school days and uses an onscreen hand to draw illustrations. These classic whiteboard animations also use other animation techniques, alongside a voiceover and helpful onscreen notes.  

When to use it? 

This style has helped people across the world understand the biggest ideas of our time and brought the vision of countless organisations to life. The classic whiteboard animation approach is ideal for explaining complex and information-heavy messages, making them engaging and memorable. 

All this makes the classic whiteboard animation the ideal choice for educational videos and product or business explainer videos that have a lot to say and need a high degree of accuracy.  

A classic whiteboard animation example

One example of the classic whiteboard animation style at its finest is the RSA Animates series. We created this series, and in the process, helped to pioneer whiteboard animation. This RSA Animate features psychologist Steven Pinker explaining the way language reflects on human nature.

Minimalistic Whiteboard Animation

project, the minimalistic whiteboard animation style might be best. This type of whiteboard animation delivers your message using clean lines, a reduced colour palette, and simple illustrations that get to the heart of what you want to say. 

When to use it?  

So, the minimalistic whiteboard animation style is perfect for short videos that need to communicate an idea quickly. This means they are great if you’re looking to reach people on social media or have a small, self-contained message to share. 

A minimalistic whiteboard animation example 

This type of whiteboard animation lends itself to snappy messages, and a great example is this video made to support Professor Richard Wiseman’s book ’59 Seconds’. We also had the opportunity to work with Richard on a whiteboard animation research project.

Doodle, Cartoony, or Sketch-Style Whiteboard Animations

Whiteboard animation has the power to make us relate, feel, and even laugh. Nowhere is this clearer than in cartoony or sketch-style whiteboard animations. Using caricature-influenced character design and charming, sketch-style illustrations, cartoony and doodle-style videos are able to capture a sense of fun and informality. 

By using humour and an approach reminiscent of the cartoons we grew up with, this type of whiteboard animation feels playful and relaxed. This puts audiences at ease, while the explanatory power of whiteboard animation still allows you to explain your message or leave people with an important takeaway.  

When to use it? 

This light and highly engaging toolkit makes the doodle/sketch style of whiteboard animation a clever way to repurpose podcast moments and make book explainers (when the subject matter suits this approach).  

A doodle/cartoony whiteboard animation example 

We did just this for author and speaker Dan Pink to support the launch of his book ‘When.’ 

Watercolour and Painted Whiteboard Animations

Whiteboard animation offers plenty of creative freedom. It allows you to bring different artistic styles and approaches to your video, and one which can look particularly stunning is the watercolour/painted approach.  

When to use it? 

This won’t suit every subject, but when your message is more high-end or aesthetic, the watercolour and painted whiteboard styles add a sense of emotion, elegance, and individuality. 

Combined with effects such as page texture, this type of whiteboard animation can create the perfect background for videos rooted in storytelling and add an air of luxury to your message and brand.  

A watercolour/painted whiteboard animation example  

We used the watercolour and painted whiteboard animation style when working with the much-missed Sir Ken Robinson and author Emma Robinson on a heartfelt poem. 

Cut-Out or Layered Whiteboard Animation

This is a very old animation style, and more recently, it has been made famous by adverts like the famous DropBox ad. It can be a particularly creative and captivating way to create an animation.  

However, many whiteboard animation software providers use a version of this approach. These software providers often provide a limited selection of characters, illustrations, and animation tools that are used by many separate video creators. This can reduce the originality of your video and make the visual storytelling less tailored to you and your message. 

When to use it?  

If your message doesn’t need high degrees of accuracy, personalisation, or explanation, this can be a creative way to present any topic (when done well).  

Example 

Here is that famous DropBox advert that shows this medium at its best.  

Mixed Media Whiteboard Animations

Mixed Media whiteboard animations combine the best of whiteboard animation and shot footage. By combining actual footage of interviewees and locations with illustrations and animation, you can create a dynamic video that grips viewer attention. 

These illustrations can build added charm and emotion into your footage. They can also bring a new dimension to your storytelling, illustrating the thoughts of a speaker, for instance, or using animations to explain what is being said in real-time as someone speaks to the camera. 

When to use it?  

This technique is a unique way to make interviews, talking heads, and any footage more engaging. We enjoy creating this type of whiteboard animation and used it recently to help us launch the very first Whiteboard Animation Day!  

A mixed media whiteboard animation example  

In this video, our Managing Senior Creative, Dan, talks about whiteboard animation as extra details are added through illustration and animation.

We have been making whiteboard animations since 2004 and in that time, we’ve worked with every type and style of whiteboard animation. Visual storytelling is our passion and we’re always here to answer any questions you might have. Contact us today or book a 30 minute chat!