There’s something about whiteboard animations that makes them easy to watch and easy to love. While charming graphics and clever scripts make animations entertaining and memorable, there’s a psychological element at work too. At a subconscious level, whiteboard animations are satisfying to watch, hard to look away from, and make ideas stick.
Don’t just take our word for it: Check out this study that shows how much more effective whiteboard animations are than a talking head video. This study found that 22% more of individuals could answer a quiz question correctly after watching a whiteboard than after watching a talking head video cover the same content.
Now that we know whiteboard animations are effective and memorable, let’s talk the psychology behind it.
Our Brains Love Simplicity
And what’s more simple than outlined drawings on a white background? The medium naturally frees the viewer of distraction and allows them to focus on what really matters. Whiteboard animations cut through the clutter and present a simple, clear message, which the viewer is easily able to consume and retain.
Anticipation and Reward
Watching a hand draw an image can be really….satisfying. Watching a whiteboard animation is such an enjoyable experience because of this. You see the hand start to draw something, and immediately your brain starts trying to figure out what it is. As the image is completed, you are either rewarded for guessing correctly, or delighted by something unexpected. Either way, this anticipation is what keeps viewers hooked for your entire video.
Visuals Aid Learning
We all know that visuals can tremendously help learning outcomes. Providing simple images to accompany content helps people make connections and form memories. Using visual metaphors in your video can go a long way in helping people understand and remember your message.
We Learn Better When We Are Having Fun
And whiteboards are darn fun. There is so much freedom with whiteboard animations to incorporate jokes and be playful. The combination of music, voiceover, script and images can help you create a mood of fun. If your whiteboard animation is fun to watch, then people will learn more and create positive associations with you and your message.
Whatever you are using your whiteboard animation for, you want your audience to enjoy watching it, hopefully learn something, and maybe even take action after watching. Because of the psychology of whiteboard animations, your odds of achieving these goals are high, and certainly higher than other media.
