JD Institute of Fashion Technology
Animation Choices Every Communication Designer Must Make

“Mickey Mouse doesn’t sell your product, but he sure inspired the idea.”
Though strange to hear, a quirky mouse in red shorts taught us more than just fun. He taught us that stories, no matter how simple, can be told through moving lines and clever expressions. But today, businesses need explainer videos to explain ideas, launch products, or pitch to investors, not cartoons.

That brings us to the question many students of communication design ask, what’s really the difference between cartoon animations and explainer videos? And more importantly, what can you learn from both as a designer-in-the-making?

Let’s unpack this, in full color, motion, and style.

Story vs. Strategy: Who’s Telling What?

• Cartoon Animation: Think childhood. Think SpongeBob, Tom & Jerry, or Avatar: The Last Airbender. Cartoon animations are emotion-first, world-building visuals where characters drive the plot. They’re about character development, adventure, humor, or drama.
  
• Explainer Videos: These are strategy-packed. Think startups like Slack or Dropbox, they’ve used animated explainers to show how their products work. These videos simplify complex ideas into clear messages using clean visuals, text, and voiceovers.

Key takeaway for students: It’s not just about drawing pretty things. It’s about knowing your purpose. Cartoon animations tell stories, while explainer videos solve problems.

2D, 3D, Motion Graphics — Which One’s Who?

• Cartoon Animations (2D & 3D):
  
  • Classic cartoon style is mostly 2D animation, hand-drawn or digitally created.
    
  • 3D cartoons like Toy Story or Frozen use depth, lighting, and realism.
    
  • Studios like Pixar and DreamWorks have made careers out of 3D storytelling.
    
• Explainer Videos (Motion Graphics):
  
  • These lean heavily on motion graphics, abstract shapes, icons, infographics that move.
    
  • Great example? Headspace’s animated explainers that teach mindfulness using simple forms and voiceovers.
    
  • Often created using tools like After Effects and Blender with shorter timelines.

Design insight: Animation style must fit function. JD Institute’s Communication Design course helps students explore all three formats, teaching which style works where, a vital skill in today’s competitive design jobs.

Length, Tone & Target

• Cartoon Animations:
  
  • Usually longer (episodes, shorts, or films)
    
  • Focused on entertainment, emotion, character arcs
    
  • Target: Kids, families, or fans of animated storytelling (but not always, just ask Rick & Morty fans)
    
• Explainer Videos:
  
  • Super short (60-120 seconds max)
    
  • Informational, professional, and often sales-driven
    
  • Target: Clients, investors, internal teams, or customers

Take Grammarly’s motion-graphic explainers, they show how to use a tool without boring you to death. That’s smart design with business intent.

The Designer’s Toolkit

• Cartoon Animations:
  
  • Tools: Toon Boom, TVPaint, Adobe Animate, Blender (for 3D)
    
  • Skills: Character rigging, lip sync, environment design, storyboarding
    
• Explainer Videos:
  
  • Tools: After Effects, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Canva Pro
    
  • Skills: Typography animation, infographic design, timing voiceovers, using brand colors
    

Startups like HubSpot and Trello thrive on animated content that’s on-brand, fast, and polish, and designers who can deliver that are always in demand.

Pro tip: Don’t just learn one software. Be versatile. Animation is about adaptability, and communication design students need to understand how to marry visuals with voice, logic with style.

Creative Freedom vs. Communication Goals

• Cartoon Animators have more artistic freedom, they build worlds from scratch. You can create a flying jellyfish army or a talking rock band if you want.
  
• Explainer Video Designers have boundaries, the product is the hero, not the animator. The visuals serve the message.

For instance, Notion’s explainer videos are minimal and sleek, nothing distracts from the message. That’s by design.

Key Insight: Constraints are part of creativity. Communication Design at JD Institute equips students to work both within and beyond these limits, preparing them for everything from ad agencies to indie studios.

Last Frame Before You Go

Whether you’re dreaming of Pixar or pitching for a SaaS startup, one truth remains, the future belongs to the creators who know why something moves on screen, not just how. Want to design for cartoons and campaigns? Make your next smart move. Start with JD Institute, and bring stories to life, from doodles to deliverables.