What Is an Animated Explainer Video?
If you have ever tried to present a complex idea, service, process or strategy and watched someone’s eyes glaze over halfway through, you will know the problem.
Some messages are important, but not instantly easy to understand.
That’s where an animated explainer video can help.
An animated explainer video uses illustration, movement, storytelling and often voiceover or text to explain an idea clearly and engagingly. It can take something detailed, abstract or hard to describe and turn it into a short visual story that people can follow, understand and remember.
For organisations, charities, public sector teams, researchers and purpose-led brands, explainer animation can be a powerful way to make complex information more accessible.
What does an animated explainer video do?
At its simplest, an animated explainer video helps your audience understand something quickly.
It might explain:
what your organisation does
how a service works
why a project matters
what your research found
how a process or system fits together
the impact of your work
a change, campaign or strategy
Instead of asking people to work through long documents, dense reports or endless slides, an animated explainer video gives them a clear visual route through the information.
It shows the story, rather than simply telling it.
Why use animation to explain complex ideas?
Animation gives you freedom that other formats do not.
You can show ideas that are difficult to film. You can simplify a process without losing meaning. You can move between big-picture context and small details. You can use metaphor, character, symbols, diagrams and visual flow to help people understand how everything connects.
This is particularly useful when your subject matter is:
strategic
technical
research-based
policy-led
data-heavy
emotionally sensitive
abstract or difficult to visualise
These two pieces of work were for a pitch to tender for Heathrow Airport Passenger Assistance service. A voiceover was added to the infographic and animated explainer which provided narration of the story. I feel the animated explainer, even without the voice over, tells a very individual story of a person with access and support needs navigating travel independently. Even on its own it carries a strong message.
Animated explainer video vs animated infographic
The terms animated explainer video and animated infographic are sometimes used interchangeably and there is often overlap.
An animated explainer video usually focuses on telling a clear story from beginning to end. It may explain a service, project, campaign or idea.
An animated infographic tends to be more visual-data-led. It might communicate research findings, impact, statistics, stakeholder insights or a strategy in a visual and structured way.
Both formats use animation and visual storytelling to make information clearer.
The right format depends on what you need your audience to understand and what you want them to do next.
When should you use an animated explainer video?
An animated explainer video is useful when you need people to grasp something quickly, especially if the message is too important to leave buried in a report or hidden behind jargon.
You might use one when you are:
launching a new service or project
sharing research findings
explaining your organisation’s impact
communicating a strategy
introducing a campaign
supporting stakeholder engagement
helping funders, partners or clients understand your work
making information more accessible to a wider audience
If your current explanation feels too long, too complicated or too easy to ignore, animation may help.
What makes a good animated explainer video?
Before anything is drawn or animated, the story needs to be shaped. What is the core message? Who is it for? What do they already understand? What might confuse them? What do they need to feel, remember or act on?
A strong explainer animation usually includes:
a clear narrative
simple, accessible language
thoughtful visual metaphors
a strong sense of flow
human-centred storytelling
carefully chosen details
a clear ending or call to action
We’re not aiming to cram everything in here, just the highlights.
Why the process matters
Often, clients come with a lot of information: strategy documents, workshop notes, research findings, reports, ideas and half-formed thoughts. My role is to help find the thread running through it all.
That means asking:
What is the real story here?
What does the audience need to understand?
Where is the emotional thread?
What can we simplify without losing nuance?
What can we show, not tell?
Who are animated explainer videos for?
Animated explainer videos can work well for many different audiences, including:
charities and non-profits
public sector organisations
universities and researchers
healthcare and education teams
creative and cultural organisations
purpose-led businesses
Brand strategy and product development
membership bodies
community projects
consultants and service providers
They are especially useful for organisations doing thoughtful, complex or people-centred work.
If your work involves ideas, systems, services or impact that are not always easy to explain in one sentence, an animated explainer video can give people a clearer way in.
How long should an animated explainer video be?
Most animated explainer videos are short and focused.
A common length is somewhere between 60 seconds and three minutes, depending on the subject and where the animation will be used.
A short animation might be ideal for a website, social media campaign or introductory overview.
The key is not the exact length.
The key is whether the animation holds attention and gives the audience what they need.
Where can you use an animated explainer video?
One of the benefits of an animated explainer video is that it can be used in lots of different places.
You might use it on:
your website homepage
a project or campaign page
LinkedIn or Instagram
funding presentations
stakeholder meetings
conferences and events
email newsletters
internal training and staff development
onboarding materials
reports or impact pages
A well-planned animation can work hard across your communications.
What is the difference between animation and live illustration?
Live illustration captures conversations, ideas and insights in real time, often during events, workshops or conferences.
Animated explainer videos are usually created after a briefing and development process, where the message is shaped into a planned visual story.
However, the two can work beautifully together.
A live illustration might capture the richness of a workshop or stakeholder event. That artwork can then inspire a shorter animated explainer, helping you share the key themes more widely afterwards.
Both approaches are about making ideas visible.
Do you need a finished script before starting?
Not necessarily.
Some clients arrive with a clear script. Others arrive with a report, a deck, a set of ideas or a document bullet pointing what they need to communicate.
Both are fine.
Part of the work is exploring with you how to shape the message so it becomes clear, structured and suitable for animation.
In fact, if your message feels messy at the beginning, that is often exactly where an animated explainer video can help.
Why animated explainer videos work
Animated explainer videos work because they help people:
understand faster (we process visuals 80,000 times faster than words alone)
stay engaged
remember key messages
see how ideas connect
feel more connected to the story
share the message with others
They are particularly valuable when your work matters, but the explanation keeps getting too long.
Animation gives your audience a way to get it fast.
Need help telling your story in motion?
If you are trying to explain a complex idea, communicate your impact or make your message easier to understand, an animated explainer video could help bring it to life.
Need help setting your brand’s story in motion? Let’s chat.
