Tech | Complexity into clarity: How video makes tech understandable
Given that we seem to be in the early days of wireless electricity, it’s surprising to think that it was first envisioned at the start of the century. That is, the start of the 1900s, when Nikola Tesla built Wardenclyffe Tower, hoping to power the world without wires. The reason it failed to take off, however, wasn’t the science: it was the story. Investors didn’t see the business model, the public didn’t understand it, and wired electricity was already winning.
The lesson? Even the most groundbreaking tech fails if people don’t understand what it does, why it matters, and how it fits into their lives - a mistake that’s been made time and again by minds far less visionary than Tesla’s.
Today, we have a tool Tesla never did: video. Not just to explain technology, but to make it feel real, relatable, and - crucially - wanted.
So, when considering video to market your tech, here are some key things to thing about.
The audience dictates the story
A Chief Technology Officer evaluating a cybersecurity solution doesn’t need an introduction to AI-powered threat detection, they want performance benchmarks, integration details and security architecture. But a business leader, deciding on a security platform needs a different angle. What risks are they facing? How does this solution keep their business safe?
Tailoring the message to the audience is key. For a general audience, cutting jargon is essential, or if it has to be used, it must be fully explained. For technical experts, using precise terminology without over-explanation builds trust and credibility.
The same AI-driven fraud detection software might be framed in two different ways:
For the expert:
“Our adaptive machine learning model analyses transaction patterns at 500ms intervals, flagging anomalies with 99.9% accuracy.”
For the general audience:
“Imagine you had an invisible security guard who could instantly recognise suspicious behaviour and stop fraud before it happens. That’s what our AI does - constantly learning, adapting and protecting in real-time.”
Both statements describe the same technology. One speaks to logic, the other to experience. Video allows both to coexist in different formats, ensuring the right story reaches the right people.
Illustrating cyber security through chess | for Nokia ASTaR lab
The power of analogies: Making the abstract tangible
It can be hard for people to engage with technical specifications, no matter how great they may be! They engage with the stories we tell to explain these specifications. One of the most effective ways to explain complex technology is through analogies that make it instantly understandable.
When we worked with Nokia to show off a cybersecurity solution, instead of visualising networks and code, we used a chess match. The game is high-stakes where every move is strategic and must anticipate a range of counter-moves and their implications. Suddenly, the audience wasn’t just learning about cybersecurity; they were seeing it play out in a way they instinctively understood.
Other examples can be just as effective:
AI logistics as an F1 pit stop with decisions happening in milliseconds to optimise performance.
Quantum computing is flipping through every page in a book at once instead of one at a time.
Edge computing as a food delivery service rather than routing every order through a distant warehouse, processing happens closer to where it’s needed.
These analogies transform abstract, intangible concepts into real-world experiences. In video, they become visually immersive, creating impact that words alone can’t achieve.
Seeing the future before it exists
Not all technologies can be filmed. Some innovations are still in development, some operate on scales invisible to the human eye, and others exist purely in digital environments. This is where motion graphics, 3D animation, and visual effects step in.
Graphics allow us to strip away distractions and focus only on what matters, whether that’s visualising AI scanning medical images for disease, showing how a 5G network optimises an entire smart city, or breaking down how blockchain transactions are processed securely.
Sometimes, visualisation is the only way to make a technology feel real. How do you film a computer solving a problem? Or show a cybersecurity system preventing an attack that never happens?" The answer? For us it’s got to be motion graphics which reveal the unseen, stylised environments that immerse the viewer with animations that explain in seconds what would take minutes to read and absorb.
Shaping the story through format
Different technologies call for different storytelling formats. A key innovation breakthrough might demand a cinematic, high-production value piece, while an industry white paper could be distilled into a sharp, motion-graphic-driven explainer.
Some innovations are best told through narrator-led visuals that guide the viewer through a transformation, while others benefit from case studies and real-world testimonials, putting the human experience first.
The key isn’t in choosing a format but in choosing the right combination that keeps your audience engaged, informed and ready to act.
The art of making complexity accessible
All great innovations face the same challenges Tesla did: if people don’t understand why they need it, they won’t adopt it. That’s why the right video doesn’t just explain tech—it makes it feel inevitable.
At Middle Table, we help tech brands turn complexity into clarity, translating innovation into video stories that resonate, engage and inspire action.
If your technology needs a story that lands, let’s talk!