Struggling to come up with ideas for your next whiteboard video? Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out with whiteboard animation, this blog is here to help you find the creative inspiration you need.
Whiteboard videos, with their dynamic blend of animation, visuals, and narration, have become a powerful tool for businesses, marketers, and educators alike.
But the key to a truly impactful video lies in the brainstorming phase. Brainstorming is when your initial scribbles transform into a captivating story that resonates with your audience.
In this guide, we’ll offer four strategic tips to fuel your whiteboard video brainstorming sessions. We’ll equip you with the tools and techniques to turn brainstorming chaos into cinematic clarity.
Tip #1: Define Your Goal and Target Audience
Clarifying your video’s purpose and identifying your target audience are essential steps in the brainstorming process. Understanding who you’re creating the video for and what message you want to convey ensures that your content resonates effectively.
Before working on your explainer video, consider conducting market research or client personas to gain insights into your target audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviors.
We always partner closely with our clients to learn about these factors at the beginning of every project, during the Project Kick-Off Call. At this time, we get down to the heart of every project, discuss audience motivation and project goals, and thisly inform the whiteboard video’s tone, style, and messaging.
When you’re planning whiteboard animation videos, try asking these questions:
- What are your audience’s needs?
- How much does your audience already know on this topic?
- Who else is competing for your audience’s attention?
- How long is your audience’s attention span?
Tip 2: Unleash Brainstorming Power
Although it can be intimidating, getting creative is a rewarding part of the process of creating a whiteboard animation.
Explore various brainstorming techniques such as mind mapping, role-playing, and “yes, and…” exercises to generate a wealth of creative ideas. These methods encourage out-of-the-box thinking and foster collaboration. We’ve learned that partnering together to collaboratively brainstorm can really lead to amazing outcomes, even if the ideas don’t all seem like winners.
Check out our Cheif Storytelling Officer, Caitlin Rogers, in her local TedxEdina Talk on ‘the Beauty of Bad Ideas’!
Teamwork is key to creative thinking. Consider conducting idea generation sessions with a variety of teams, or individuals from different departments within your organization. Diversity of perspectives can lead to innovative ideas and unique approaches to storytelling in your whiteboard video.
To best unleash brainstorming power when you’re working on your whiteboard video, foster a supportive and non-judgmental environment where creativity can flourish. Still looking for more brainstorming advice? Here’s additional ideas:
Tip 3: Craft a Compelling Narrative
Telling a story that speaks to your target audience is a great way to inject authenticity into your marketing and do a whole lot to win trust with them.
A clear and engaging narrative is the backbone of any successful whiteboard video. Think about your target audience, and then define a compelling story arc that captures the their attention, maintains their interest, and delivers your message effectively.
Within the constraints of your brand, structure your narrative using the classic storytelling framework of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
This ‘Storytelling 101’ structure provides a logical progression of events that keeps viewers engaged from start to finish.
We created this explainer animation to demonstrate how we create compelling narratives for our whiteboard videos.
Of course, visuals and animation play a crucial role in reinforcing your narrative. Use them strategically to enhance brand storytelling, clarify complex concepts, and guide viewers through the journey of your whiteboard video. Our job as animators is all about incorporate visual metaphors, diagrams, and illustrations to simplify abstract ideas and make them more accessible to your audience.
Tip 4: Tools & Technology to Enhance Your Brainstorming
Explore online whiteboard tools that facilitate remote collaboration and idea visualization. These platforms enable teams to brainstorm ideas, create visual concepts, and collaborate in real-time, regardless of location.
When selecting brainstorming tools and technology, consider your specific needs and budget constraints. Evaluate features, pricing plans, and user reviews to choose the tools that best align with your requirements.
Our team has enjoyed leveraging asynchronous collaboration tools, such as Google Drive, Kudoboard, and Jamboard. The tools propsensity for group mind-mapping and team brainstorming, all at the same time from different locations, has allowed our fully remote team to stay creatively involved with each other despite the distance between us.
