Explainer video: how to teach a service in 60 seconds

Which topics suit an explainer video?

Any topic that answers the question "How does it work?" is a good fit: how a software tool operates, an insurance claims process, the steps of a service, a membership or application flow, or the logic behind using a product. If viewers should learn something and then take a next step, an explainer video is the right choice. A promo video introduces the brand itself, an ad film builds emotion, and a product showcase presents a single product.

The four-step structure

Every explainer is built on the same framework. It opens with the viewer's question ("Why is your claim waiting a week?"). The "how it works" section follows with two to four clear steps, then a concrete benefit or piece of proof, and finally the next step ("Start your application today"). Sentences are short, jargon is left out, and the narration speaks to the viewer as "you." Each step is a single sentence matched to a single drawing on screen. Scenes are mostly process, list, comparison and number types.

What should you write in the brief?

Describe the process to be explained, who it is for, and what you want viewers to do afterwards. If you know the steps, list them in order. The system builds the video from the steps you provide and the ones found on your website and documents.

Five drawing styles

Whiteboard: black marker lines with a single accent color; the standard choice for software, insurance and education. Blackboard: a dark green board with chalk; suited to schools, workshops and cafes. Flat vector: colorful and clean; suited to corporate services, public information and healthcare communication. Paper cut: layered and warm; suited to food, family products and social responsibility topics. Isometric: bird's-eye miniature systems; suited to logistics, software architecture, factories and infrastructure.

• •Serious, technical topic: whiteboard or isometric.
• •Warm, consumer-facing topic: paper cut or flat vector.
• •Education and courses: blackboard or whiteboard.
• •Better matched elsewhere: luxury brands tend to suit styles other than whiteboard, and technical infrastructure topics suit whiteboard or isometric more than paper cut.

Draw-on reveal and narration

The drawing in each scene appears on screen as if it is being drawn by hand. The camera stays still, so attention remains on the narration. The voice-over is professional and read in one continuous take, with numbers spoken according to the reading conventions of the narration language. On-screen titles and steps carry the explanation themselves. You can review the scene plan before production and edit the narration text.

How it differs from a product showcase

A product showcase is a 12–16 second studio shot made from product photos (1–4 products): the product is kept exactly as it is, the setting is built around the chosen style, and the narration is brief. An explainer video runs 30–60 seconds and teaches how something works. If you are showing a physical product, choose the showcase; if you are explaining a process, choose the explainer video. The two can also be used together.