An Explainer Video Company for Products That Are Hard to Explain
If your product takes a five-minute call to explain, it needs a ninety-second video that does the job without you. DesignHQ scripts, storyboards and animates custom explainer videos for SaaS, fintech and B2B teams — on a flat monthly subscription instead of a per-video quote.
Every explainer is made by senior motion designers who work in motion graphics every day, with lighter character animation where a story needs a face. Script, storyboard, animation and edit come from one team, and each round of feedback moves at the subscription’s 24-hour average turnaround.
- 500+Projects shipped
- 2016Founded
- 4Continents served
- 24hAverage turnaround
Animated Explainer Videos Built Around One Clear Idea
Most explainer videos fail for the same reason: they try to say everything. A buyer watching your homepage video is deciding whether your product is worth a closer look, not learning every feature. The video has one job — to make the core idea land in the time they are willing to give it.
That’s why our process starts with the message, not the animation. Before a single frame is designed, we agree on who the video is for, the one thing they should understand by the end, and the action they should take next. The script is written to that brief, the storyboard is built from the script, and only then does animation begin.
The result is an animated explainer video that feels designed rather than templated: matched to your brand system, paced for the platform it lives on, and simple enough that a prospect can repeat the idea to a colleague.
What every explainer includes
Custom Explainer Videos, in the Style Your Story Needs
We match the style to the message and the audience — not to whatever is trending this quarter.
01Motion Graphics Explainers
Animated type, shapes, icons and interface elements carry the story. The cleanest choice for software, data and process-heavy products, and the easiest to update when your product changes.
Illustrated 2D Explainers
Custom illustration brought to life in 2D. Warmer and more narrative — a good fit for consumer-facing brands and ideas that benefit from a visual metaphor.
Character-Led Explainers
A light layer of character animation that puts a person in the story — a customer, a user, an operator. Best when the problem is human and viewers need to see themselves in it.
Corporate Explainer Videos
Restrained, brand-led explainers for enterprise announcements, internal change and investor updates, built to sit comfortably next to your annual report and keynote.
Explainer Cut-Downs
Shorter edits of your main explainer for ads, social feeds and sales emails — re-framed and re-paced for each placement rather than simply trimmed.
Explainer Refreshes
Already have an explainer that’s out of date? We can rework the script, update screens and re-edit it to match your current product and brand.
Need a video that walks through your interface feature by feature? That’s a product demo — part of our Motion & Video design subscription.
Explainer Videos for Business, Placed Where Decisions Get Made
An explainer earns its budget when it works in the places buyers actually make up their minds.
Website Explainer Video
A short explainer above the fold gives visitors the idea before they scroll — and gives your sales team something to send after the first call.
Sales Conversations
A 60–90 second version reps can drop into follow-up emails and decks, so the story reaches the people who weren’t on the call.
Product Launches
Launch a new product or category with a video that frames the problem first, then introduces what you’ve built.
Customer Onboarding
Shorter explainers that cover setup, key workflows and what happens next, so new users aren’t relying on your support team for the basics.
Investor & Board Updates
A tight, animated version of your story for fundraising decks, investor updates and board meetings.
Internal Communication
Explain a new process, policy or restructure the same way across every team and office, without relying on each manager to retell it.
From Script to Final Cut: How We Make Your Explainer
Six stages, one team, and a review point at every stage — so nothing surprises you at the end.
Brief & Message
We pin down the audience, the one idea they need to understand and the action they should take. It becomes the yardstick for every later decision.
Script
Our team writes the script and you review it. Narration runs at roughly 130–150 words a minute, so a 90-second explainer is a tight 200 words or so — every line has to earn its place.
Storyboard & Style Frames
We sketch the story scene by scene and design key frames in your brand style, so you approve the look before anything moves.
Voiceover & Music
Voiceover and licensed music sourcing are available as add-ons. If you have your own voice talent or track, we’ll work to it.
Animation & Edit
We animate every scene, then edit for pacing — timing, transitions and sound sync — and bring it back for your feedback.
Delivery
You receive the final video and any cut-downs in MP4, MOV, WebM and GIF, sized for your website, social channels, sales decks and events.
How Long Should an Explainer Video Be?
Length should follow the job the video is doing. This is the guide we use when scoping a script.
Paid social, ad pre-roll and cut-downs of a longer explainer
15–30 secondsNarration (approx.): 35–75 words
Homepages, landing pages, sales follow-ups and launch announcements
60–90 secondsRecommendedNarration (approx.): 130–225 words
Onboarding, internal training and complex B2B products with several moving parts
2–3 minutesNarration (approx.): 260–450 words
For most business explainers we recommend 60–90 seconds. If the script runs longer, the video is usually trying to do two jobs — and should probably be two videos.
Animated or Live-Action Explainer?
We make animated explainers. Here’s an honest view of when that’s the right call — and when it isn’t.
Animated explainer
- Best for
- Software, data, processes and ideas you can’t film
- Production
- No shoot, locations, crew or talent scheduling
- Updating later
- Screens, text and scenes can be revised without reshooting
- Brand control
- Every frame is designed to your brand system
Live-action explainer
- Best for
- Physical products, places and stories that depend on real people
- Production
- Needs a shoot, crew, locations and on-camera talent
- Updating later
- Changes usually mean a reshoot or awkward edits
- Brand control
- Depends on locations, wardrobe and lighting on the day
Many teams combine the two — filmed footage with motion graphics layered on top. We can edit footage you already have and add the motion graphics.
What an Explainer Video Costs on a DesignHQ Subscription
Project-based explainer video studios usually quote each video separately, and scope changes are billed on top. DesignHQ works differently: explainers are produced inside the motion subscription, which starts at $1,500/mo and scales to $4,500/mo based on request volume and turnaround priority.
Scripting, storyboarding, animation, editing and unlimited revisions within scope are covered by the plan. Voiceover and licensed music sourcing are add-ons. If you need a single explainer and nothing else, book a call — we take on fixed-scope projects too, and we’ll tell you honestly which model fits.
What affects your plan level
- Request volumeHow many active requests you need worked in parallel each month
- Add-onsVoiceover or licensed music sourcing
- Turnaround priorityStandard queue vs. rush handling for time-sensitive campaigns
- Complexity2D motion graphics vs. custom character animation or 3D work
Frequently Asked Questions
On DesignHQ, explainer videos are produced within the motion subscription, which starts at $1,500/mo and scales to $4,500/mo depending on request volume, turnaround priority and complexity. Custom character animation and 3D work sit at the higher end. Voiceover and licensed music sourcing are add-ons.
For most business explainers, 60–90 seconds. That’s roughly 130–225 words of narration — enough for one clear idea and a call to action. Use 15–30 second cut-downs for ads and social, and 2–3 minutes only for onboarding or genuinely complex products.
Yes. Scripting is part of the process: we write the script from an agreed brief, you review it, and the storyboard is built only after the script is approved. If you already have a script, we’ll tighten it for pacing before animation starts.
Motion work at DesignHQ typically runs one to three weeks from brief to final files, depending on length, style and how quickly feedback comes back. Each round of work moves at the subscription’s 24-hour average turnaround.
Animated explainers work best for software, data and processes you can’t film, and they’re easier to update when your product changes. Live action suits physical products and stories that depend on real people. DesignHQ produces animated explainers and can add motion graphics to footage you already have.
One audience, one idea and one next step. Good business explainers open with the viewer’s problem rather than your product, show the change your product makes possible, and end with a single clear call to action. The script matters more than the animation style.
Final videos in MP4, MOV, WebM and GIF, plus the cut-downs and aspect ratios for the placements agreed in the brief — website, social, sales decks or event screens.
Yes. Product demo walkthroughs and feature-launch clips are part of DesignHQ’s Motion & Video service. If the goal is to show how your interface works feature by feature, we’ll scope a product demo rather than an explainer.
Explore Related Services
Let's Connect.
Let's Connect.
Let's Connect.
Let's Connect.