2D explainer animation helps people follow an idea by showing the parts that matter, in the order they need them. A character can establish who is involved, a diagram can show how a system connects, and movement can reveal what happens next.
The useful question is what the viewer needs to understand after watching. That determines which details to include, how to organise the explanation and whether animation is the right format. Dream Engine’s Digitary and Motorola examples below show two ways to approach that decision.
What is 2D explainer animation?
A 2D explainer uses flat illustrations, typography, icons and diagrams to explain a subject over time. It may include characters and narration, but neither is essential. A sequence of labelled shapes can be enough to show how information moves between people or systems.
That makes 2D explainer animation useful for subjects where the important action is difficult to film: a digital transaction, an approval process or the relationship between several services. The design can leave out background detail while preserving the facts the audience needs.
The same approach can support a financial service overview, educational content or internal communication. Each needs a different level of detail. A customer deciding whether a service suits them needs a different explanation from an employee learning to use it.
Show the relationship that words leave unclear
Start by identifying the source of confusion. Are viewers unfamiliar with the terms? Do they know the components but not how they connect? Are they unsure which step comes first? Adding pictures to every sentence will not necessarily answer those questions.
Choose the visual structure to suit the problem. A sequence can explain an order of actions. A diagram can connect several parts. A character can show whose decision changes the situation. Keep the labels and visual conventions consistent so viewers can follow the same idea from one scene to the next.
Digitary: give an abstract service a person to follow
Digitary engaged Dream Engine to explain its digital credential platform, through which academic records can be issued, shared and verified online. The animation uses illustrated people and a restrained green, black and white palette to introduce a service that largely exists behind a screen.
The useful lesson is to distinguish the person’s task from the technology supporting it. A new viewer first needs to know who holds the record, who needs it and what happens when it is shared. Those relationships give a technical explanation a structure.
For your own service, write down the different roles before developing the artwork. If several people appear in the story, give each a consistent visual identity. A change in character, colour and terminology at the same moment can make a straightforward handover difficult to follow.
Watch: Digitary explainer animation · 2 min 3 sec
Notice how the illustrated people provide a point of reference for the credential process.
Use movement to direct attention
A highlight, arrow or change of scale can indicate which part of a scene to look at. The timing matters as much as the drawing: introduce the visual when it is discussed, leave enough time to understand it, then move to the next point.
Watch for competing tasks. If the voiceover introduces a new idea while the screen contains a long paragraph about the previous one, the viewer has to choose what to follow. Keep essential labels on screen, use narration for the explanation and provide captions for access to the spoken content.
For a government policy or public information video, familiar-looking symbols may still need explanation. A symbol that makes sense to the project team may mean little to someone encountering the process for the first time.
Test understanding, not just preference. Show a draft to someone unfamiliar with the subject. Ask them to describe what happens and what they would do next. Their answer is more useful than a general question about whether they like the animation.
Motorola: make a system visible in a busy setting
Dream Engine produced a series of 2D animated clips for Motorola Solutions. They were intended for a trade-show background screen and later used on the website. The compilation below opens with an “Incident & Dispatch” sequence, using an illustrated operator and a prominent heading to establish the subject.
In that setting, the viewer may join the film midway through and may never hear the soundtrack. A recognisable scene, readable heading and self-contained sequence help establish what is being explained. The information has to work at the distance and screen size where it will be seen.
When explaining a connected system, decide what each line or arrow represents. It might show a message, an instruction or a physical connection. Use the same convention throughout and have a subject specialist check it. A convincing diagram can still imply the wrong relationship.
Watch: Motorola animation compilation · 3 min 39 sec
Watch the opening Incident & Dispatch sequence and consider which information remains understandable with the sound off.
Plan one scene before choosing a visual style
A useful first test is to describe a single scene in ordinary language. As a hypothetical example, imagine a video explaining how an application is reviewed:
- Viewer’s question: who checks my application after I submit it?
- Spoken explanation: the application goes to a reviewer, who checks the required information before making a decision.
- Visible action: an application moves from the applicant to the reviewer; the required fields are highlighted in turn.
- Detail to check: does a missing field stop the process, trigger a request or allow the review to continue?
The last question can change both the script and the drawing. It is better to resolve it while the scene is still a sketch. A simple animation should simplify the presentation without removing a condition that changes what happens.
A storyboard pairs words with proposed images. A timed storyboard, or animatic, adds approximate duration so you can judge whether labels and actions have enough time. Our animation production process guide explains how these review stages fit together.
Give characters a reason to be there
Characters are useful when the explanation involves a person’s goal, decision or difficulty. Show what they are trying to do, what prevents them and what changes. This gives the viewer a reason to follow the process.
A decorative character beside a diagram may add little. If the subject is a technical flow between systems, a labelled diagram could communicate it more directly. Choose characters because their actions explain the subject, then make the illustration style suit the audience and brand.
Plan for different screens and future changes
A wide process diagram may work in a presentation but become unreadable when cropped into a vertical social video. A version for another language may need more room for labels and a different pace for narration. Agree on the required versions before approving the storyboard.
Identify information likely to change, such as interface screens, eligibility conditions or contact details. Keeping those elements separate can make later revisions easier, although updates may still require new artwork, narration and timing. Confirm which editable files and usage rights are included in the handover.
Budget for the explanation you need. The number of scenes, original illustrations, character movements and review rounds all affect the work. Runtime alone is a poor basis for comparing quotes. Our animation cost guide sets out indicative budgets and scope considerations.
When is another format more useful?
Use 2D when a planned sequence of illustrations or diagrams can make the explanation easier to follow. Consider a screen recording when viewers must recognise exact controls, 3D when depth and physical relationships are essential, and filmed footage when seeing the real person, place or action is important.
A project can combine these approaches. To compare 2D with 3D product visualisation and hand-drawn styles, see our animation video examples, which explain the production choices behind five Dream Engine projects.
The showreel below offers a quick overview of visual treatments. Use it to discuss illustration, movement and tone; an individual explainer needs a pace that suits its own message.
Watch: Dream Engine animation showreel · 1 min 6 sec
Start with the question your audience needs answered
Gather the source material, identify the people who can check it and write down what the audience should understand after watching. Bring references with a short explanation of what you find useful in each. You do not need a finished script to start a conversation.
The strongest 2D explainer makes each scene earn its place: the imagery shows a relationship, the timing lets viewers follow it and the wording supplies the detail they need. If you are planning a project, our Melbourne animation video service explains how we can help develop the idea.
Ryan Spanger is the founder and managing director of Dream Engine, a Melbourne video production company established in 2002. Over the past two decades, he’s produced hundreds of videos for businesses, government departments, universities and healthcare organisations across Australia. Ryan specialises in helping organisations explain complex ideas through clear, engaging video content, with particular experience in corporate communications, training and education.
