Whiteboard animation, also known as doodle art and sketch animation, is an incredibly popular form of hand drawn animation most commonly used in marketing and training videos.

Whiteboard animation is well liked for training purposes because it is more entertaining than simply listening to a “talking head.” People also find it engaging due to the fact that you are invested in watching the creation of each image and trying to decipher the image and its meaning while narration or voice-over addresses the message. Due to this “engagement factor,” whiteboard animation has been proven to be effective for children and adults alike.

It has been said that the first whiteboard animation videos made their premiere on YouTube, which began in 2005. While there are no verified sources of these first early videos, many suggest that UPS was the first well-known whiteboard video. In this first video, a team at UPS turned their meeting briefings into a sketched-out marketing video which was well received and launched this new animated medium. However, when you think about it, the essentials of whiteboard animation trace back to the caveman days in which our ancestors used stone to draw out concepts and storylines on walls.

Over the years the popularity of whiteboard animation has increased as has its uses. Often referred to as “explainer videos,” the medium allows difficult concepts to be easily digested in a fun and creative manner. Using timelapse and stop animation, you could even look at the development of the whiteboard video as an evolution of the once incredibly popular comic book and comic strip business. Another feature that makes whiteboard animation appealing is the price. Doodle videos are incredibly affordable to produce making it possible for businesses of all sizes to be able to incorporate video into their marketing and/or internal training strategies.

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