Visual storytelling with animation

What is visual storytelling?

Visual storytelling is conveying a story through images rather than text alone. In animation, you combine illustration, motion, and sound into a narrative that effortlessly takes viewers from problem to solution. You work with recognizable scenes, metaphors, and transitions that provide context, while voice-over and sound design reinforce the message. The result: less cognitive load, greater understanding, and higher engagement. Animation is also timeless and scalable—you can easily adapt scenes, languages, and formats without having to reshoot. For a more in-depth approach, read our guide to storytelling with animation.

Why animation is so powerful for storytelling

Animation gives you complete control over timing, visual language, and brand consistency. You can visualize things that are difficult or costly to do with live action—such as internal systems, data flows, or underground processes. You can effortlessly switch between macro and micro shots, speed up or slow down time, and build scenes with exactly the right details. Want to understand why this is so impactful? Discover the psychology behind animation and engagement.

• Making complex topics simple—perfect for explainer videos and technical animation
• Show product advantages in a tangible way—ideal for product animations and 3D visualizations
• Consistently presenting your brand story – corporate animations with a recognizable style
• Efficient scaling up—variants per target group, language, or channel

For complex topics, an explanatory animation works particularly well as a storytelling tool.

Animation styles at a glance

2D animation

What it excels at: Clear illustrations, strong metaphors
Ideal for: Explanatory videos, onboarding, process explanations

3D animation

What it excels at: Realistic rendering, perspective, and depth
Ideal for: Product animations, technical demonstrations

Explanation

What it excels at: Step-by-step explanations, didactic structure
Ideal for: Instructions, complex propositions, change

Step-by-step plan: from idea to animated story

A compelling story does not come about by chance. Work in a structured manner and ensure that each step contributes to your goal.

• Goal and target audience - determine the desired behavior or insight and for whom you are creating it.
• Key message - summarize your story in one sentence. Everything in the video should serve this sentence.
• Storyline and script - build from problem to solution, with logical transitions and call-to-action.
• Style choice - 2D for simplicity and speed, 3D for realism and detail, or a hybrid form.
• Storyboard - translate the script into scenes and transitions. Check flow and timing.
• Design - develop characters, icons, and color schemes that match your brand.
• Voice-over and music—choose tempo, tone, and sound design that drive emotion and rhythm.
• Animation - balance movement, timing, and camera for maximum clarity.
• Versions and formats – deliver social cuts, subtitles, and aspect ratios for each channel.
• Distribution and measurement—publish as planned, measure viewing time and conversion, optimize.

Examples of visual storytelling with animation

Product demonstration in 3D - show features from every angle and place the product in context, without prototypes. Technical animation - make invisible processes visible with exploded views and cross-sections, ideal for industry and energy. Onboarding and instruction - guide new employees or customers step-by-step with clear metaphors and callouts. A practical example is a 3D animation of an automated order picking process, which makes a complex logistics system understandable to decision-makers and operators in just a few minutes.

Brand stories also come to life with animated films for storytelling.

View the case study: Danone – story-driven animation.

Checklist for strong animation storytelling

• One key message per video—no side tracks
• Start with the context and the problem—build suspense
• Use visual metaphors - accelerate understanding
• Write for the ear—voice-over reads differently than web text
• Tempo varies per scene - alternate between calm and fast-paced
• Always have a clear call to action—what should the viewer do next?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you create good storytelling?

Start with your goal and target audience, formulate a razor-sharp core message, and choose one storyline. Work with recognizable situations, use metaphors to simplify abstract concepts, and ensure a clear structure: context - problem - solution - result - call to action. Let each scene take you one step forward. Test your script out loud - rhythm and simplicity always win out over jargon.

How do you make your own animation?

Choose a tool or workflow that suits your ambition. For 2D: storyboard in Figma or Illustrator, animation in After Effects. For 3D: modeling in Blender or Cinema 4D, compositing in After Effects. Start small with a micro story of 15-30 seconds. Work in iterations: script, storyboard, style frames, animatic, final. Prefer to outsource for top quality and speed? Work with a studio that thinks along with you about story and distribution.

What is digital animation?

Digital animation is the creation of moving images using software. In 2D, you work with flat illustrations and motion, while in 3D you work with objects in a virtual space with light, textures, and a camera. Digital animation is flexible, scalable, and ideal for visual storytelling because you have control over every detail and every timing.