We love seeing ‘handmade’ on the things we buy. From furniture and cushions to that special coffee pot that makes it just right, handmade says so much more than that literal meaning. It says that something was made with passion, skill and dedication. We can taste it in every coffee we make!
It’s not just the usual suspects that can be handmade, digital storytelling also benefits from the human touch! Hand drawn animations bring together your vision, the skill of creatives and the key bespoke details that you need to get your message across. It’s this human touch that makes animated explainers so effective at using storytelling in business, education, public awareness campaigns and tech - to name just a few!
How does a hand drawn explainer video work?
Hand drawn explainers use a combination of illustrations, animation, a voiceover and onscreen text to share ideas in a way that is informative, relatable and easy to understand. Because they are hand drawn, these animated explainers give you lots and lots of creative freedom, making them perfect whether your subject is complex or abstract, every day or detail heavy.
At the heart of all these elements is storytelling. Our brains are wired to receive and learn from stories. By turning messages into narratives, we harness the amazing power of storytelling to make hand drawn explainers engaging and memorable. This is why every animated explainer video starts with a carefully written and considered script.
All tailored towards your target audience, we use tools like visual metaphors and well-crafted characters to make your video feel relevant and meaningful to your viewers. By using so many communication streams, your hand drawn explainer can say a lot in a short amount of time, with all the context and supporting information that is needed to make it useable and empowering for your audience.
Why are hand drawn explainer videos different from other types of animated videos?
Hand drawn explainers have a big advantage over other types of animated explainer video. Each one is created just for you, and the whiteboard animation toolkit offers a wide range of creative possibilities. This is great news for your message and the impact of your video.
From a storytelling and message perspective, the narrative and visuals can be designed to share your message in the perfect way. This is particularly effective when what you are discussing is abstract or complex. By creating completely custom illustrations, you can bring your vision to life exactly as you had planned.
This custom design also has big benefits for your video’s impact. Knowing your audience well, you can create characters, settings and features that will appeal to them. If your video has a specific purpose or location, the creative freedom of hand drawn explainers allows you to design it to the exact requirements of the location - whether that is your website, YouTube, social media or the big screen of a live event.
This is very different to other types of video content. Other types of animated explainer video offer less creative freedom and room for visual thinking. They also don’t build the same level of emotional connection with your viewers. This is particularly true for videos created using video creation software and online tools. Videos that use shot footage don’t allow for as many creative possibilities, and face limits like available locations and actors. They allow for less effective use of onscreen text and visual metaphors.
Hand drawn animation uses
For all the reasons we’ve mentioned, we love hand drawn animations, and specialise in whiteboard animations. Their creative freedom and flexibility mean they can cover any subject. They’re perfect for the age of the smart phone and their flexibility makes hand drawn whiteboard videos the ideal choice for your message. Here are just a few of the options, but in reality, if you can imagine it - we can create it.
Product and service explainers
Hand drawn animations are perfect when it comes to explaining a new product in an informative, engaging and shareable way. They can give key details and pack in everything that someone needs to know in a short amount of time, in a way which really speaks to viewers and the pain points you are solving.
Onboarding videos
In an increasingly remote world, teams can be spread across countries. This is great news for recruiters but does provide new challenges for training and sharing company culture. Bespoke whiteboard animations that capture your essence and values, while explaining your company’s history are great at overcoming these challenges and getting a new starter into their role and the company ethos.
Sharing reports, research and books
Thanks to the combination of illustration, narration, animation and onscreen text, whiteboard animations are able to make information memorable and entertaining - no matter how complex or rich it may be. This makes hand drawn videos a great way to share report findings with the public or executive boards and capture the content and message of books in a way that captivates and creates new readers.
Pitching
The world was getting pretty small before Zoom took off and brought us into each other’s living rooms on a global scale. This has made sharing and explaining great ideas or products even more important. Using hand drawn whiteboard animation videos is a great choice when introducing a product or service in a way which is relatable, engaging and delivers a strong call to action. With the support of animations, you can pitch anywhere in the world.
Subjects we’ve been explaining recently
We love collaborating with our clients because we get to share our experience. We learn something new with each project and feel privileged to have the opportunity to create hand drawn whiteboard animation videos on many subjects. Here are just a few of the whiteboard animations we have worked on recently.
The University of Manchester - Microplastics in UK rivers
The University of Manchester conducted essential research, revealing worryingly high amounts of micro plastics in rivers. The research raised important questions about wastewater treatment and was mentioned in the UK Parliament.
Compassion Animal Project
Pets are dear members of the family for many of us, and when something happens that requires going to the vet, it’s a very stressful time. When money worries are added to this, that stress can be unbearable. Compassion Animal Project exist to help families financially in situations like these, keeping them together.
Strange Cargo - Participatory Arts
Art is a powerful way of connecting us to each other and our communities. Strange Cargo use art to do just this, creating everything from guidebooks to carnivals. Working together, we helped them explain who they are and what they do.
Socrates - Panorama, St Paul’s
The world is a busy place, cutting through the noise and introducing your product or innovation is harder than ever. We helped Panorama, St Paul’s to do this - sharing their incredible new building and the many things that make it special.
The unique creative process that goes into each hand drawn animation, and the storytelling strengths that come with their streams of communication, makes your messages feel just like you! We’d love to hear about your project and discuss how whiteboard animation could help, talk to us today!
Over-complication isn’t just tedious—it’s the nemesis of efficiency. Enter the KISS principle: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”