With different types of 2D animation at your disposal, it’s easy to get lost when choosing one for the project. Each comes with its own characteristics and unique features, so it’s essential to understand which will benefit your project best. Whether you’re looking for concise messaging or a more dynamic, creative approach, the animation type can significantly influence the effectiveness of your video.
In this article, we’ll break down the most popular 2D animation types and help you understand how to choose one that perfectly aligns with your project needs. 🤓
Summary
- What is 2D animation?
- Key types of 2D animation
- How to choose the right type of 2D animation for your project
- Define your project objectives
- Identify TA and their preferences
- Assess your budget and time limitations
- Evaluate the complexity and detail level needed
- Choose the type and style of animation that matches your objectives
- Decide on the production approach: in-house vs outsource
- Consider any extra requirements
- How Blue Carrot can help your business
- Summary
What is 2D animation?
As the name implies, 2D animation is a form of animation where all the object movements occur in a two-dimensional space, defined by width and height. The 2D animation comes from traditional hand-drawn animation techniques that involve creating individual frames, where each subsequent frame represents a slight change from the previous, making the illusion of motion.
In video production, 2D animation is used in a wide range of applications — explainer videos, brand commercials, educational content, and more — thanks to its ability to effectively and quickly communicate complex ideas. 2D animated videos are a versatile tool used by companies for years in numerous campaigns and other video-based projects.
👉 2D animation types vs styles
The terms ‘animation style’ and ‘animation type’ are often confused or used interchangeably, so it’s important to understand the distinction between them. Animation style refers to how the objects and characters move within the shot, defining the flow and feel of the video.
On the other hand, animation type is more about the technique and technology used to create the video, such as 2D, 3D, whiteboard, motion graphics, cut-out animation, etc. While style affects the visual appeal and dynamics, the type influences the tools and methods used in production. More about the difference between these two concepts is in our article here.
Key types of 2D animation
To assist in understanding what options are available in terms of types of 2D animation techniques, we’ll go over the most popular. Each type offers specific advantages that can enhance storytelling and help produce the desired outcome:
- Traditional animation — hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation offers a unique, artistic feel. It fits well with character-driven and branded videos, as it can provide a touch of originality and creativity.
- Cut-out — involves moving flat characters or objects. Great for explainer videos and educational content due to a clean, minimalistic tone that’s easy for learners to follow.
- Whiteboard — a hand-drawn, sketch-like animation style. Perfect as animation for education or tutorial videos. It helps break down complex subjects into easy-to-understand ideas. It enhances engagement, allowing viewers to progress step-by-step through the narrative. If you want to learn more about educational video production, read How to Make Animated Educational Videos.
- Motion graphics — combines text, shapes, and other visual elements set in motion and frequently used as motion design for brands in corporate videos, presentations and ads. It works well for videos that need to highlight key messages or data.
- Stop-motion animation — here, frames are captured one by one with objects or characters slightly moved between shots. They are commonly used in creative campaigns and product demos since they add a ‘handcrafted’ vibe that can hold the viewer’s attention.
How to choose the right type of 2D animation for your project
📌 Define your project objectives
Before diving into the types of 2D animation with examples, clearly defining your project objectives is crucial. Ask yourself: What message do you want to convey? What emotions should the animation evoke? What result do you want it to produce in particular?
Understanding your goals will guide the creative decisions, from selecting the most appropriate 2D animation type to choosing characters, visual style, etc. Without a clear direction, however, the final product may lack coherence, fail to engage viewers, or miss its intended purpose.
📌 Identify TA and their preferences
Understanding your target audience (TA) and having an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) outlined is as crucial as knowing your project goals. Who will watch your animation — children, tech-savvy people, general consumers, elderly people? Each group will have different expectations and should be approached with the appropriate imagery, 2D animation type, and style.
For example, corporate clients may prefer a more moderate approach, while younger audiences may better engage with colorful, character-driven narratives. Identifying demographics, interests, and viewing habits helps better tailor animation style, tone, and messaging.
📌 Assess your budget and time limitations
Time constraints and budgetary limitations will also influence the choice of animation type. On one end, you can go with high-end types of 3D animation that will take your team weeks and months to produce. On the other hand, opting for motion graphics or whiteboard animation will be more effective in terms of time and money.
However, your project objectives should also be considered, as there might be 2D animation styles or types that fit your goal better or worse. We recommend setting realistic expectations and not aiming too high when project resources or delivery timeframes are limited.
📌 Evaluate the complexity and detail level needed
Eventually, the complexity of your 2D animation will impact both the production budget and the project’s delivery timeframe. Basic motion graphics or whiteboard interactive animations work well for explainer videos, while cutout animation is better suited for more dynamic ads.
Consider your subject as well — intricate topics (physics, technology, fintech, healthcare, etc.) may require detailed and complex animation sequences in order to be explained properly. In contrast, more general subjects (history, culture, art, etc.) can often be portrayed with less detail and, thus, budget-friendly animation types in 2D.
Another key factor is the use of characters — while they can significantly boost viewer engagement, character animation may be labor-intensive and require additional budgeting.
📌 Choose the type and style of animation that matches your objectives
A common misconception is the assumption that the highest-quality, most visually impressive animation will automatically make a video successful. While top-tier animation can enhance engagement, it won’t guarantee effectiveness if it doesn’t align with your objectives.
The style and type of animation should first serve the video’s purpose — whether it’s simplifying concepts, elaborating on product functionality, delivering knowledge, etc. For instance, an e-learning video can be better fitted with basic imagery, while an animated video for a brand campaign can benefit from a more dynamic animation.
Prioritizing storytelling and message alignment over sheer production quality ensures your animation can achieve the objectives.
📌 Decide on the production approach: in-house vs outsource
In-house and outsourced production both have their own benefits and drawbacks. An in-house team gives you more control over the production process and faster communication. On the other hand, managing a team can be expensive, especially if your project requires talent with specialized skills that are scarce in the market.
Outsourcing offers access to diverse expertise and often lower costs, though it can involve more coordination and less direct control. These can be managed as well on the contractor’s end if you hire a professional outsourced team. To learn how to successfully delegate your project without a headache, read: How to Choose a Video Animation Company.
📌 Consider any extra requirements
Before choosing the animation type, we recommend considering any additional requirements that may affect the production process. For example, if you plan to repurpose the content across multiple platforms, like social media, websites, or presentations, you must adapt the animation to different formats and sizes.
Each medium may require specific adjustments in style, pacing, resolution, etc. By factoring in these requirements, you’ll understand the resources needed for all the additional activities to be executed with the particular animation type.
How Blue Carrot can help your business
With 10+ years in the video production industry, we at Blue Carrot have the necessary expertise and production set-up for polished animation workflows to allow us to handle even the most complex projects, no matter the size or type.
We’ve been working with brands across Europe, the US, and the UK to design videos that educate, grab attention, or go viral. Our portfolio is regularly updated with newly created projects and showcases the diverse industries we’ve worked with, ensuring our clients get fresh and compelling content.
👉 Inpher
Our team created a 2D explainer video series for Inpher to help them raise awareness about their product, explaining the concept of ‘secret computing’ to potential customers. The three videos, each up to 180 seconds, illustrate real-world use cases while showcasing how to overcome various customer-related data-processing challenges. Instead of just showing the product’s interface, the videos use uncluttered animation, stylized interfaces, and metaphors to simplify intricate concepts for non-tech viewers.
The first video highlights data analytics challenges, while the second and third demonstrate how Inpher processes sensitive data securely. With such a stylistic approach, we ensure businesses can better understand the benefits of Inpher’s offering without overwhelming them with technical details.
👉 Ecosio
In this 84-second explainer video created for Ecosio, an EDI-as-a-service provider, we help potential customers understand the benefits of an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) process. The video showcases Ecosio’s all-in-one EDI solution, which simplifies business communication, saves resources, and reduces tech failures.
Using a 2D motion graphics style, the animation aligns with Ecosio’s branding while maintaining a professional yet light tone. Designed for multiple sales funnel stages, the video was featured on Ecosio’s website, social media, and YouTube. Our team handled scripting, storyboarding, animation, and editing, ensuring the delivery of an engaging visual presentation that aligns with Ecosio’s initial vision.
Summary
Making the right decision between different visual styles and types is crucial to achieving your project’s goals. With the right choice, you can successfully get the outcome you’re aiming for. Remember that your animation should be visually appealing and effective, allowing you to engage the audience and make them do the desired action or — in the case of educational projects — obtain the required knowledge.
We hope you find these animation production tips useful. And for all other questions regarding 2D animation techniques or video production in general, don’t hesitate to contact our 2D animation studio in any way convenient to you! 🥕
