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Case Study: Softly Selling Your Services with a Sketch

14/1/2021

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CATEGORIES: TECHNOLOGY, SALES

The Client
Squirrel Business Hub 
​
The Problem
​Squirrel is a fast-growing technology consulting firm that specialises in the installation, configuration, and integration of business systems—in particular Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs).  
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Every business reaches a point at which they need a CRM to handle incoming leads and customer conversations. Unfortunately most small businesses owners don’t even know what a CRM does.
​
Our Approach
We believe that education is the most powerful sales strategy. The goal of this video was to build authority and trust with the audience by explaining what a CRM is and how it helps a business function more effectively.
The Squirrel brand is one that is very approachable and friendly. Much like the mascot at the heart of the brand, there is an element of fun and cute in the way that “Squirrelies” portray themselves to the world. As a result, we knew that it would be important that the video reinforce the fact that, while technology can be intimidating and scary, your technology partner need not be.
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Our Solution
We opted for a first-person view of the customer, so that the target audience would see themselves in the story, and the pain relayed by the narrator would resonate. The client was so happy with the video script that the final line:
“for all the things you didn’t get into business to do”
would go on to become the marketing tagline adopted by the business.
To present the solutions that the Squirrel team offers its clients as non-scary, we peppered the technical explanations with squirrels and fluffy, friendly “cloud” creatures throughout the video. 
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A hand-drawn explainer video is an effective tool for educating without being patronising. While it was necessary for us to introduce some terminology, we:
  • broke the explanation of new concepts into digestible chunks
  • were careful to not overload the viewer, to avoid them “zoning out”, 
  • ensured constant motion, to give the viewer something familiar for their eyes to follow
  • used colour sparingly, drawing on the brand’s colour palette
  • illustrated known systems that the client works with regularly into the visuals
  • simplified intimidating technical diagrams into simple sketches

Client Testimonials
“We have that video on the home page of our website for a reason—it beautifully communicates everything that we want potential customers to know about what we do before we start a conversation with them. It’s perfect!”
—Kylie Harker, Founder
​
More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:
  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com 
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Case Study: Fostering a Message that Matters

14/1/2021

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​CATEGORIES: NOT-FOR-PROFIT, VISUAL FACILITATION, ILLUSTRATION

The Client
Victorian Department of Health & Human Services 

The Challenge
We feel extraordinarily lucky on a regular basis that we get to partner with clients doing work that matters, so we were humbled when the Department of Health & Human Services approached us to map the journey of foster carers from initial interest to multiple children and beyond..
One of the biggest challenges in this space is there is a higher demand for foster carers than are available, so there is a real need for efforts in educating and inspiring others to take this journey. Getting people together with a lived experience, and enabling them to feel safe enough to share their story was a huge part of this exercise. Once we elicited their stories, we were able to illustrate the journey in a way that made sense as a poster to raise awareness and validate the important role that existing carers play.

Our Approach
We worked with folks from DHHS and the Foster Carer's Association of Victoria to:
  • prepare questions to ask carers before the day
  • plan a series of activities and visual aids to solicit stories from foster carers
  • facilitate the workshop on the day, including members from DHHS, Foster Care organisations, and current and former carers
  • synthesise and polish the findings into an illustrated journey map that could be used by the department to raise awareness about the crucial role that foster carers play in our society, as well as help identify opportunities for improving and optimising the overall system.
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Our Solution
Because of the sensitive nature of the subject matter, we decided collectively that there was value in creating two versions of the poster—one that would be useful for recruiting, retaining, and raising awareness of foster carers, and another version that was more suitable for internal use. This internal version was more focussed on helping members of DHHS and agencies to identify opportunities where the overall system could be improved.
We were faced with the challenge of walking a fine line between wanting to shout from the rooftops about what amazing work foster carers do for our community, with painting a realistic picture that accurately portrays the fact that being a foster carer is hard. 
Some of the stories that came out on the day were heartbreaking, and the weight of responsibility to capture and visualise those emotions was enormous.
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  • A draft sketch, exploring layout options and content scope


The Outcome
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We were extremely proud of the final result, which was a truly collaborative effort from the department, agencies, carers, advocates, and several members of the Sketch Group team. With this journey map, the Victorian Government and the Foster Carer’s Association are better equipped to explain what is involved, manage people’s expectations, and encourage more Victorians to volunteer to foster a child.

Client Testimonials
“I love it. I think it is perfect.”
— Katie Hooper
    Chief Executive Officer, Foster Care Association of Victoria

More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:
  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com 
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Case Study: Engaging Children to Keep Them Safe

14/1/2021

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CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, LIVE SKETCHING, LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Client

Mount Alexander Shire

The Problem
Educating children about how to stay safe outdoors—for example, when cycling, camping, interacting with animals, or during a natural disasters like bushfire or flood—can be a tough sell. For it to be received effectively, educational content needs to be experiential, delivered using variety, interactivity, and novelty.
​
Our Approach
The team from Mount Alexander Shire did a great job of creating a range of outdoor stalls for school groups to visit on the day. We complemented these efforts by providing a graphic recorder to visualise the content on a large canvas. 
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The Outcome
The canvas was attached to a portable GraphicWall, which meant it could be easily moved between stalls and was therefore visible when it added the most value. The final canvas captured some of the highlights, and served as a record of “safety tips” for teaching staff, to remind students how to stay safe in a colourful and fun way. Photographs of the canvas served as useful marketing assets to celebrate the success of the event via official communication channels, such as the local council’s email newsletters and social media accounts.

Client Testimonials
“[The graphic recorder provided] Another dimension to the day by providing excitement and fun to participants (kids) and facilitators while sketching the main points of each presentation. Matthew communicated extremely well with participants and organisers and showed a genuine interest in the project and objectives we were delivering to assist with keeping children and their families safe and prepared for emergency. Credit to Matthew.”
-- Luke Ryan, SAFE organiser
​
More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:
  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com 
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Case Study: Using Visuals to Remove Language Barriers

7/1/2021

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CATEGORIES: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TRAINING

The Client  
Commonwealth Ombudsman for Overseas Students

The Problem
If an international student believes that a private education provider has treated them unfairly, he or she can be unaware of the available options. After lodging a complaint, if a provider has failed to take action or is taking too long to take action, the student is often at a loss for where to turn next. The overseas students ombudsman can help, but only if the student knows to approach them.

Our Approach
We worked with the Overseas Students Ombudsman to create a video that was:
easy to understand, particularly for people for whom English is not their first language culturally sensitive inclusive of multiple backgrounds explained the independent nature of the ombudsman, and the power they hold informed and empowered the student

Our Solution 
Sketch video is a powerful medium when the subject matter relates to topics that are either sensitive or cross-cultural boundaries. Illustrating scenarios, rather than filming them, is a cost-effective way to capture the nuances of interactions that have the potential to be emotionally charged. 
Using illustration also allows for sophisticated concepts to be effectively presented—and received—by an audience who may or may not understand every word in the voiced script.
Watch the video on YouTube.
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The Outcome 
The video has been viewed nearly 5,000 times. We also assisted in translating the video into other languages, including Mandarin, Hindi, Vietnamese, Malay, Indonesian, and Korean.
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Client Testimonials 
“Wow, it looks great! Thanks so much Kerstin. And thank you for getting it done so quickly. We’re very happy with it.”
“Just wanted to let you know the video was very well received at the student conference last week, so we were really happy [with] the response.”
—Melita Hoskin

More Information 
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:

Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
​Web: www.sketchgroup.com
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Case Study: Sketching to Simplify the Complex

17/12/2020

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CATEGORIES: NOT-FOR-PROFIT, ILLUSTRATION

The Client
The Big Issue

The Problem
The Big Issue is a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to supporting and creating work opportunities for homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people. They are best known for their fortnightly, independent magazine, which is sold on the streets by vendors.

These vendors are not asking for charity. By selling the magazines, they are running a microbusiness, and The Big Issue is helping them to help themselves. Unfortunately, this concept is not well understood by the general public.

Our Approach
We met with the client and workshopped ways that the concept could be communicated. Our empathy forecast activity helped to elicit some of the assumptions made by members of the public, and the internal conversations that vendors have. This helped to extract multiple layers to the message, including:



  • Evoking empathy for vendors;
  • The fact that vendors buy copies of the magazine with their own money, and then sell them—in the same way that a business operates—as compared to donating to charity;
  • The sense of pride and achievement that vendors feel when they have made a sale;
  • The compassionate approach to helping vendors that The Big Issue adopts;
  • The fact that a vendor may have mental, physical, or skill-based challenges is not a hurdle for them to begin selling copies of the magazine;
  • Benefits of this model beyond financial reward, such as flexible work hours; and
  • The price that magazines are available for sale to the public.
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We explored the possibility of communicating this message, and the unique business model, as a comic strip. After several iterations, we hit upon the concept of a single diagram depicting what is a virtuous cycle:  make -> buy -> sell
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Our Solution
The final image combined scenes from the original comic strip with the diagram depicting the cycle, with the vendor pictured at the centre of the process. We delivered portrait and landscape versions of the diagram, so that the magazine publishing team could fill half- or full-page slots when there were advertising slots that had not been sold.

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The Outcome
The image was an absolute stand-out success, and led to additional work with The Big Issue for us to evolve the concept into an animated video. What began as a simple diagram to fill pages in the magazine in lieu of advertising slots evolved into a multi-media campaign that was screened nationally on free-to-air television, cinemas, and large outdoor displays in Melbourne’s CBD, as well as continued reach via The Big Issue’s various social media channels.

But the real impact was a growth in confidence in vendors, which came from them having a tool to clearly explain that they were not seeking charity, but were in fact running a microbusiness.

Client Testimonials
“The sketch clearly articulated The Big Issue model. It was really helpful to distil the transaction simply as ‘Buy, Make, Sell’—it showed that the ‘Make’ component was central to the enterprise. Without the creation of a magazine, there is nothing for vendors to sell!
The central element of the sketch clearly conveyed the sustainability of the model and the central role that the vendor plays. It packed a lot of information into one infographic.”

—Louise Gray

More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:

  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com
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Case Study: Making Financial Concepts Fun

8/12/2020

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CATEGORIES: INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, MOTION GRAPHICS

The Client
AustralianSuper

The Problem
Making superannuation fun is a tough ask. And communicating the principles of measured risk within the superannuation world is even more difficult.

But that was the challenge that AustralianSuper set us. How to educate the investment team on when to take risks, what parameters to adhere to, and how and when to report incidents are all important—but boring—messages to get across to the entire team.

Our Approach
We worked with AustralianSuper to create a series of animated videos that illustrated these concepts in a way that was light-hearted, but still accurate and carried the gravitas required for these big topics.

Our first step was to establish a character that could be used across multiple stories. Having a recognisable face would provide for continuity and create anticipation with each new story released.

The character we created was “Wriskers”, a mouse. This choice of animal came from the popular “cheese model” that is prevalent throughout the world of risk. The concept stems from the holes that occur in Swiss cheese, and when we proposed the idea during the proposal stage, the client fell in love with it immediately.
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Given the client had well established brand guidelines, it was important that Wriskers—and every other element created for the video series—fit in with the rest of the existing brand colour palette, style, tone, and choice of language.

Our Solution

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The videos that we created for the Risk team at AustralianSuper are those of which we are most proud. The combination of challenges made for an extremely rewarding project, namely:

  • Adhering to brand guidelines
  • Navigating internal approval processes and timelines
  • Garnering stakeholder buy-in
  • Communicating complex financial topics in a way that is fun as well as accurate
  • Telling a story that is compelling as well as educational

The Outcome
The “Risk Matters” internal campaign was a huge success. After the first video in the series was published to the staff intranet, inquiries began about when the next in the series would be released. Pageviews of each video reflected a high degree of engagement, and the team capitalised on “Wriskers” becoming the local office mascot by extending his presence to other marketing collateral.

Client Testimonials
“The Risk Matters animated videos from Sketch Group were such a hit, and the team were wonderful to work with. We had too many cooks in the kitchen, but they were incredibly patient and delivered something that we are really proud of. I can’t wait to partner with them on another project soon!”

—Julianne Dowse, Change Manager

More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:

  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com
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Case Study: Protecting Your Brand

1/12/2020

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CATEGORIES: BRANDING, TRAINING
The Client
VELCRO® Australia 

The Problem
VELCRO® is a known and respected brand around the world. But the trademark is often misused, and the language used by suppliers and customers when describing the range of products can be inconsistent and wrong. The VELCRO® team wanted to educate people in the correct way to use the brand, and do so in an engaging and understandable way.

Our Approach
We opted to use a carrot rather than a stick when it came to educating users on how to refer to the VELCRO® Brand trademark. We knew that creating a fun, light-hearted and engaging video would illuminate problems and solutions with a smile. 

We facilitated an empathy forecast session to gain clarity on the VELCRO® brand and the message. The exercise also shed some light on how distributors and partners feel about the brand, and some assumptions that they make. We used the outcomes of this activity to distil the language and key points that needed to be in the video, to ensure the desired message would be heard, supported and remembered. 

Our Solution
​
Because we shoot our sketch videos in a studio, rather than utilising a software tool to mimic a hand bouncing around on screen, we are able to bring additional items onto the canvas other than just a pen and paper. In this case, it made perfect sense for us to use some of the much loved and instantly recognisable VELCRO® brand products, and combine them with sketching to bring the messages to life in a unique, memorable, and colourful way. 
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The Outcome
The video was well received by the client, and anecdotally was a success with distribution partners as well—anecdotally, the client has seen a decrease in the number of partners that discuss, promote, or request VELCRO® brand products incorrectly after watching the video. And the client now has a video resource that will be used for many years to come to protect their brand, image, and trust in their products.
Client Testimonial
“The problem that faced Velcro Australia was trying to educate our distributors that we are a brand and that we should not be referred to as a noun or adjective. We wanted to ensure that our trademark was protected and displayed in the correct manner at all times, when referring to our genuine hook and loop fasteners.

The sketch video created was ideal for conveying our message. It put across the message of trademark hygiene in a fun and engaging way which we thought may not be possible. The video is used regularly to help protect and train our stakeholders of the importance of our beloved trademark.”

 —Xavier Poynton, Marketing Manager

More Information
For more details on this project, or to learn how Sketch Group can help you make an impact by sketching your story, contact our friendly team:

  • Telephone: 1300 SKETCH
  • Email: hello@sketchgroup.com
  • Web: www.sketchgroup.com

​
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    Author

    Matt is Chief Doodler at Sketch Group. He has contributed to several books on visual thinking, most recently The World of Visual Facilitation.

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