2D animation services for clear, engaging visual storytelling
Character animation, vector explainers, animated infographics and illustrated stories. 2D is the most flexible way to simplify an abstract idea, give a brand its own look, and explain something a camera cannot film.
2D animation from our portfolio
A range of 2D styles, from flat explainers for health systems and security platforms to illustrated charity films and character stories.
PH1 Patient Story
A 2D patient story about a rare disease. Illustrated characters and worlds carry an emotional story that would be hard or impossible to film.
- Style frames approved before any animation
- Characters designed to reflect the real audience
- Scripts, voiceover and sound produced in-house
UPMC
2D explainer for a US health system.
Spyderbat
2D explainer for a cloud security platform.
Propy
2D explainer for a real estate transaction platform.
Gusto Wallet
2D explainer for an employee savings wallet.
Embers International
2D charity film about at-risk children.
Sheryl Hatwood
2D character story animation.
Titles and descriptions match our Our Work page.
What is 2D animation?
2D animation is motion built from flat artwork: illustrated characters, shapes, icons, typography and backgrounds moving in two dimensions. In business video it is usually vector-based, which keeps it crisp at any size and quick to revise.
Its strength is simplification. 2D can remove everything that does not matter, exaggerate what does, and show things no camera can: a customer's thought process, money moving between accounts, a virus entering a cell. That is why it remains the default choice for explainers, education and brand storytelling.
What 2D animation helps you achieve
- Make abstract ideas concreteServices, processes and invisible systems become something a viewer can picture.
- Give the brand its own lookA custom illustration style is recognisable in a way stock footage is not.
- Show people without a shootCharacters represent customers, patients or employees, in any setting.
- Stay easy to updateVector scenes can be edited, relabelled and localised without starting again.
- Scale into a seriesOne style guide carries across launches, training modules and campaigns.
2D animation we produce
Character animation
Designed characters with expressions, gestures and lip sync where needed.
Vector animation
Flat, clean motion design built for clarity and fast revision.
Corporate explainers
Business services, strategies and change explained in plain language.
Animated infographics
Data, statistics and comparisons built into the story.
Illustrated storytelling
Brand, charity and campaign films with a richer illustration style.
Educational animation
Lessons and concepts for schools, platforms and professional learning.
Mixed-media 2D
2D combined with UI, photography, footage or 3D elements.
SaaS explainers
Software stories told in 2D; for interface-led videos see SaaS videos.
Social and ad cutdowns
Short vertical and square versions built from the same artwork.
2D is not one look. It is a family of them.
The style is chosen for the audience and the message, then documented in style frames before animation begins.
| Style | What it looks like | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Flat vector | Clean shapes, limited palette, simple motion | Product explainers, SaaS, fintech, internal communication |
| Character animation | Illustrated people with expressions, gestures and lip sync | Stories about customers, patients, employees or users |
| Illustrated storytelling | Richer, textured illustration closer to editorial art | Brand films, charity films, premium campaigns |
| Isometric and diagrammatic | Objects and systems drawn at an angle, like a technical diagram | Processes, supply chains, infrastructure, platforms |
| Animated infographics | Charts, numbers and icons built into the story | Reports, finance, health data, annual results |
| Mixed-media 2D | 2D combined with UI, photography, video footage or 3D elements | Products that need both a story and something real on screen |
Where 2D animation earns its place
The first video a prospect sees, explaining what you do and why it matters.
Conditions, treatments and journeys shown with care and without graphic imagery.
Savings, credit, payments and risk made understandable to non-experts.
Concepts taught visually, in modules that can be reused and translated.
A distinctive illustrated look that stands apart from stock-footage ads.
Sensitive subjects told through characters rather than real people.
For teams that need clarity with character
2D suits almost any organisation, which is why the brief matters more than the category.
Explainers, campaign films and social content in one consistent style.
A professional first video without the cost of a shoot.
Regulated or sensitive topics explained accurately and respectfully.
Lesson and module series built on a reusable visual system.
Storyboard, design or animation support behind the agency's name.
2D or something else?
No style is universally better. This is how we usually advise.
2D is a strong choice when
- The subject is abstract, invisible or hard to film
- You want people on screen without a shoot or actors
- Brand personality matters as much as information
- You expect to update, translate or extend the video later
Another format may suit better when
- A physical product must look real, with materials and mechanisms: 3D animation
- The message is mostly text, data or brand graphics: motion graphics
- Long, teaching-led content where the viewer is there to learn: whiteboard animation
- You need many campaign variants quickly: AI-powered video
How a 2D animation comes together
- Discovery
Audience, goal, placement and the single idea the video has to land.
- Script
Written by us or developed from yours. Voiceover length is fixed here, so timing is planned from the start.
- Storyboard
Every scene sketched with the script beside it, so you can see the whole video before design begins.
- Style frames and character design
Key frames in the final style, and character sheets for anyone who appears more than once.
- Illustration and animation
Scenes designed as layered vector artwork, then animated, including lip sync if characters speak.
- Voice, music and sound design
Professional voiceover, licensed music and sound effects mixed to the picture.
- Delivery
Master file, cutdowns and language versions, with a revision round on the full preview.
What helps us start
- Your goal and audience, even in a few sentences
- A script, brief, deck or website to work from
- Brand guidelines, fonts and any existing illustration
- References you like, or do not like, from any source
What you receive with a 2D project
What you can receive
Depending on the project, deliverables may include:
Tell us where the video will be used and we will recommend the versions worth making. Source files are available where agreed in the quote.
What affects cost and timeline
- Length. Most business 2D runs 60 to 120 seconds; longer videos are often better as a series.
- Style and detail. Flat vector is quicker than richly illustrated scenes.
- Characters. The number of characters, how much they move and whether they lip sync.
- Versions. Aspect ratios, cutdowns and languages planned up front.
- Feedback rounds. Clear, consolidated feedback at script and storyboard keeps things moving.
A typical 60-second 2D video takes two to four weeks from brief to delivery. Our fixed-price packages start from $180 for a 30-second video and $340 for a 60 to 90 second explainer. Larger, 3D and series projects are quoted individually. Every quote is written and arrives within 24 hours.
2D animation questions
How long does a 2D animation take?
What is the difference between 2D and 3D animation?
Can you match our existing brand style?
Do you write the script?
Can you animate designs supplied by our agency or design team?
Can the characters look like our real customers or staff?
Do you work white label for agencies?
Tell us what you want to explain or show
Share whatever you have: an idea, a brief, a reference video, a script, a product link or an existing storyboard. We will recommend a production approach, a length and a format, then send a written quote.
Written quote within 24 hours · Prefer to talk first? Book a call