If you’re researching video styles for your next project and are interested in minimalist explainer videos then we’ve got you covered! We’ve gone through our portfolio and selected some examples of videos that have clean, sleek, modern and clutter-free designs. We hope these give you some creative inspiration for your own project. For more information about minimalism as a design idea generally, have a read through these articles by unbxd and Webflow.
Why make a video in a minimalist style?
It usually comes down to your brand identity and also the goals for the video. A clean, minimal style is elegant and is suitable for brands that favor simplicity and clarity. It can also signal trustworthiness. Perhaps more subtly, it sends a signal that you value your audience’s time and attention as you’re presenting a highly crafted experience without burdening the viewer with unnecessary detail.
Are minimalist explainer videos easier and cheaper to make?
No, in fact they can be more difficult. Don’t let the simple shapes and lines fool you! In minimalist explainer videos, the graphic design and illustration needs to be on-point and also the animation execution must be excellent (because in the absence of illustration complexity, it is the animation quality that needs to carry the video). For these reasons, executing these videos well requires strong, experienced talent.
Enough talk, let’s show some examples.
Example #1: A minimal motion graphic style
The below video uses a limited color palette (just black and white) and flowing lines and shapes to tell the story, as opposed to say using animated characters. It uses no voiceover, just calming music and typography. This video is for a healthcare tech product but this type of style can work for corporate or other tech products too.
Example #2: Flat 2D with a brighter color palette
The next video has a flat 2d aesthetic, i.e. we avoid depth, gradients, shadows and we use simple blocks of color. The animation is trickier to create than a casual observer might expect and you can see this in details like the bounces, stretches and well-planned transitions.
Example #3: Traditional illustrations
Here below we use hand-drawn illustrations. This style is also known as frame-by-frame, cel or traditional animation. Each frame is individually drawn which allows the artist to express their look and the motion more fully. It is however a very time consuming process to create these types of videos.
Example #4: Abstract shapes
In the below video we explain concepts with abstract shapes that align with the brand. Even the use of complex transitions and transformations were avoided in this one.
Example #5: Motion graphic style with software screens
In the tech and SaaS space you commonly need to show software screens. The challenge is to show the software authentically while still maintaining the clean, sleek look. The below video combines a motion-graphic style of video with software screens.
Example #6 (bonus!): Simple lines
Well, why not, let’s throw in one more example. This next video uses simple line artwork to represent characters and objects. The line travels throughout the video to give continuity and to add a bit of visual interest to the transitions. The video also shows app screens in a clean, minimal style. Finally, we tried to choose music to match the look.
Conclusion
We’ve shown a few examples of explainer videos in a clean and minimal style. The goal of these videos was to express the client’s brand appropriately by creating a look thats fresh, simple, elegant and polished. If you’d like to see more style ideas take a look at our article about video trends for 2025.
