, , , , , , , ,

How Does Whiteboard Animation Balance Engagement And Accuracy?

, , , , , , , ,

This is an important question, and both are essential in any good whiteboard animation. Getting the balance right takes careful creative direction, visual thinking and research. When it’s done well, this combination allows visual thinking to explain complex ideas in an engaging and accessible way, expanding their reach and impact!

To find out more about this process and getting the balance right, Dan Stirrup, We Are Cognitive’s Managing Senior Creative, spoke to us about how he approaches this challenge.

 
 

If you have a message or idea that could benefit from whiteboard animation, we’d love to talk to you! Contact us today or book a free creative consultation to ask us a question.

The We Are Cognitive Blog
Together in Eclectic Memes: Laughing (and Losing) in the Crypto Circus
Together in Eclectic Memes: Laughing (and Losing) in the Crypto Circus

In a meeting this morning it was mentioned that Trump had launched a crypto currency. Can that actually be legal now he’s just about to be inaugurated as President of the USA? To answer these questions I came across a Forbes article that was too good to miss. Naturally, I popped the kettle on for an Earl Grey tea and settled in for the latest instalment of crypto chaos: TrumpCoin crashes, MelaniaCoin takes the spotlight, and somewhere, Donald Trump is undoubtedly seething into his gilded Diet Coke chalice. 

Flying Too Close to the Sun (Without Crisping Up Like a Marshmallow) 
Flying Too Close to the Sun (Without Crisping Up Like a Marshmallow) 

The Parker Probe isn’t just a shiny example of what humans can achieve when they stop arguing on X for five minutes. It’s also a reminder that big problems—whether they’re cosmic or corporate—need both boldness and a plan. 

Feeling Like a Fraud? You’re in Good Company
Feeling Like a Fraud? You’re in Good Company

When we strip away the layers of imposter syndrome, it often boils down to storytelling—about who we are, what we’ve done, and where we’re headed. The narratives we tell ourselves shape our reality, and reframing those stories can unlock a healthier sense of self-worth.

What The Zuck?!
What The Zuck?!

Facebook and Instagram are going “back to their roots” of free expression. Because, clearly, what the internet desperately needed in 2025 was more rucks.

The Traitors: A Masterclass in Storytelling Under Pressure
The Traitors: A Masterclass in Storytelling Under Pressure

Watching The Traitors is like observing a high-stakes version of a spider weaving its web. Every accusation, every alliance, every teary-eyed confession pulls on the delicate threads of trust until the whole thing collapses in a heap of suspicion. 

New Year Resolutions are a scam! Let’s be real.
New Year Resolutions are a scam! Let’s be real.

Ah, New Year’s resolutions. The annual tradition where we collectively trick ourselves into believing we’re only one heroic declaration away from becoming flawless human beings. This year, this will be the year we shed those bad habits like a moulting snake. Right? Wrong! 

Capturing Complexity Through Conversation: My Interview with Dan Ariely
Capturing Complexity Through Conversation: My Interview with Dan Ariely

If you could pin down the essence of truth, could you draw it? That’s the question that lingered in my mind after speaking with Dan Ariely for my RSA Animate documentary—a project allowing me to reconnect with some of the most compelling thinkers of our time.

Stick With It: How Can Messy Ideas Spark Creative Breakthroughs?
Stick With It: How Can Messy Ideas Spark Creative Breakthroughs?

I have written a lot about failure. It’s something of a fascination for me. I am in a constantly evolving process with failure. When does failure become a success? Are there any true failures or is it just an endless process?

How Creativity Can Transform Education
How Creativity Can Transform Education

If you’ve spent any time in creative circles, you’ll know that while education has the potential to transform, we’ve been wielding this so-called "weapon" like a blunt instrument for far too long.

To Live a Creative Life
To Live a Creative Life

No matter where we find ourselves on the spectrum of human experience, creativity can play a vital role in survival, healing, and hope. 

The Art of Medicine
The Art of Medicine

AI could revolutionise the NHS by taking on administrative tasks, giving doctors more time to spend with their patients. However, while this sounds like a dream solution, it comes with challenges. With great power comes great potential for, let’s face it, accidental chaos.

A study in scarlet... I mean pink
A study in scarlet... I mean pink

So, here’s the reflective takeaway: in a world of endless scrolling and relentless sameness, being bold is essential, but it’s only the first step. Jaguar has smashed the glass case, but now they need to decide what to do with the diamond.

Does Your Presentation Have a Pulse?
Does Your Presentation Have a Pulse?

Let’s face it, presenting isn’t just about showing up with slides and stats. It’s a performance. A dance. A chance to make ideas leap off the screen and stick. But how do you know if you’re nailing it? That’s where the Presentation Pulse Check comes in. 

99 Problems: Sticking to the Plan—Here’s Why It’s Killing Your Business
99 Problems: Sticking to the Plan—Here’s Why It’s Killing Your Business

The familiar feels safe, even when it’s clearly sinking. Here’s the harsh truth: in a world that moves as fast as a TikTok trend, being slow to adapt is a recipe for stagnation.

Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock and Roll All Night (and Refine Every Day)
Keep It Simple, Stupid: Rock and Roll All Night (and Refine Every Day)

Over-complication isn’t just tedious—it’s the nemesis of efficiency. Enter the KISS principle: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”

99 Problems: Good Enough Isn’t Great: It’s easy to coast when you have success
99 Problems: Good Enough Isn’t Great: It’s easy to coast when you have success

Here’s the thing about getting comfortable – it’s the silent killer of real growth, and I am not talking about bottom-line growth – I’m talking about the type of growth that is far more valuable.

The Inverted Pyramid: The Principle that Explains Why it Can Be Good to Think Upside Down
The Inverted Pyramid: The Principle that Explains Why it Can Be Good to Think Upside Down

Ah, the Inverted Pyramid—It sounds like a tragic prog rock album you might find at a car boot sale, but it’s a concept that’s as intriguing as it is practical.

99 Problems: Beyond Keeping the Lights On - How Smart Leaders Balance Today's Urgencies with Tomorrow's Vision
99 Problems: Beyond Keeping the Lights On - How Smart Leaders Balance Today's Urgencies with Tomorrow's Vision

Sometimes it’s bloody tempting to focus on fighting today’s fires while forgetting the bigger picture, isn’t it?

The Magic of Affordance: A Design Principle Less Ordinary than it Affords
The Magic of Affordance: A Design Principle Less Ordinary than it Affords

Affordance is how something shows you what it can do, like a door handle that makes you want to pull the door open or a button that looks like it should be pressed.

99 Problems: I’m going to stop planning for the future like it’s some distant horizon. Here’s how
99 Problems: I’m going to stop planning for the future like it’s some distant horizon. Here’s how

Have you ever been in a meeting where you could just feel your team's energy slipping away? Sometimes meetings drag on, and fresh ideas are as rare as a decent cup of tea, well, in the whole of America!

The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint
The Golden Ratio: Where Art Meets Precision and Nature Reveals Its Blueprint

This peculiar proportion, approximately 1.618, has been lurking in the shadows of human creativity for millennia, like a mathematical James Bond, seducing architects, artists, and designers with its promise of perfection.

99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?
99 Problems: How Do You Reignite Innovation in Your Team?

Have you ever been in a meeting where you could just feel your team's energy slipping away? Sometimes meetings drag on, and fresh ideas are as rare as a decent cup of tea, well, in the whole of America!

Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?
Anthropomorphism: Why Do We Give Feelings To Machines?

Why do we see faces in clouds, cars with expressions, or even attribute human emotions to our household appliances (admit it, your Henry Hoover has feelings)? The answer lies in the ancient concept of anthropomorphism—a principle as old as humanity itself, born from our inherent need to understand and relate to the world around us by projecting our own characteristics onto it.

Hick's Law: The Overwhelming Choice of Dilemma
Hick's Law: The Overwhelming Choice of Dilemma

Picture this: You walk into a diner with a menu the size of a small novel. You’re hungry, but now you’re stuck—overwhelmed by choice, paralysed by indecision. Welcome to Hick’s Law in action, a psychological principle that’s been quietly dictating human behaviour since the 1950s...

99 Problems: Chasing the Market
99 Problems: Chasing the Market

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That frantic rush, always trying to keep up with the latest trend. Blink, and it’s gone—again. It’s like standing on a moving walkway, but it’s speeding up, and you’re dragging along a suitcase packed full of never-ending to-do lists.

The Scaling Fallacy: A Tricky Little Concept
The Scaling Fallacy: A Tricky Little Concept

Understanding the Scaling Fallacy isn't just for philosophers or over-caffeinated academics. It's vital for anyone who wants to make an impact with their ideas, especially in creative fields where size does not always equate to success.

99 Problems: It’s time to break the ‘golden rule’ of playing it safe!
99 Problems: It’s time to break the ‘golden rule’ of playing it safe!

Here’s the thing—staying in your comfort zone isn’t just boring; it’s risky. You know what they say: “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” 

Performance Load: The Art of Less
Performance Load: The Art of Less

Performance Load teaches us that less truly is more. Visual thinking is about distilling complexity into clarity, turning a tangled web of ideas into a neat, navigable roadmap.

99 Problems: Why Short-Term Gains Are the Silent Killers of Your Future Success—and How to Fix It
99 Problems: Why Short-Term Gains Are the Silent Killers of Your Future Success—and How to Fix It

You know that feeling when you’ve just nailed a quick win? The rush, the thrill, the sense of accomplishment—it’s like a hit of dopamine, making you feel like you’re on top of the world. But here’s the thing no one tells you...

Constraint: Creativity's Secret Weapon
Constraint: Creativity's Secret Weapon

Ever heard of the phrase, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’? Turns out, constraint is its often-overlooked sibling—perhaps the unsung hero of creativity.

Andrew Park

Cart (0)