For Siobhan Maclean, a bestselling author and educator in social work, we created an original educational animation to explore the Bones of Social Work — a framework rooted in social pedagogy that helps practitioners clearly understand the differences between theory, model, method and approach.
The challenge was to explain concepts that are often used interchangeably, yet are fundamentally different, in a way that felt clear, memorable and engaging for both new and experienced social workers.
Rather than relying on abstract diagrams or academic language, we developed a simple board-game style concept, using tactile visual metaphors and calm, deliberate pacing to encourage understanding rather than overwhelm.
The animation was built around a custom-designed game board featuring a skeleton — representing the practitioner — with interchangeable components linked to head, heart and hands, a core concept in social pedagogy.
Tokens labelled Theory, Model and Approach could be flipped to reveal the appropriate element, while Method was represented as a tool. Different tools were placed on the hand (the model), then carefully returned to their slots — reinforcing the idea of knowing when, and how, to use the right tools in practice.
Every texture, prop and piece of box art was hand-drawn, giving the animation a tactile, almost physical quality that echoed the feel of a real learning aid rather than a conventional explainer video.
The film was created for Siobhan’s YouTube channel and released organically, without paid promotion. Despite serving a highly specialised audience, the video has achieved nearly 13,000 views, closely matching her subscriber base — a strong indicator of relevance and shareability.
Viewer engagement has been exceptional, with:
Over 84% audience retention across a 6 minute runtime
259 likes from ~13,000 views
Dozens of unsolicited, highly positive comments
The animation has since been adopted as listed learning material by universities, not only in the UK but internationally — including Capella University in the United States.
This project is a great example of how animation can transform complex, abstract ideas into something intuitive and memorable. By slowing the pace, choosing the right metaphor and treating the subject matter with care, we created a piece that genuinely supports learning, not just content consumption.
It also demonstrates the power of thoughtful, niche communication: when the idea is right, reach and impact can follow naturally, without large budgets or paid media.
The animation was rendered using Eevee, allowing for high visual quality while keeping production efficient and flexible — particularly important for long-form educational content where clarity, pacing and consistency matter more than visual excess.
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