Our Honest Approach to Inclusivity in Animation + Motion Design

At Pixel Park, we believe that people are just as important as projects.

Putting that into action often means representing the audience on screen so they can see themselves in the video. It’s even more important to have representation behind the scenes in the creation and development of the work because everyone comes from a unique background and has an individual lived experience that makes better, more realistic work. It doesn’t stop there, once something has been made, it’s important to get feedback from the very communities we’re showcasing so that we can continue to be authentic in our portrayals of different people and cultures on screen.

The wonderful thing about animation and motion graphics is that we can do anything. We aren’t bound by the limitations of “real” life, so that’s why we strive to make our characters representative of the real world. Humans come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, skin tones, genders, ages, accents, and abilities; people with disabilities make up 19%¹ of the population of the United States – the largest minority group.

And since disabilities² can be permanent, temporary, or situational as well as congenital, acquired, and age-related, we like to use the persona spectrum tool.³ It’s a tool typically used in user experience design to account for a range of users, but it is useful for graphic designers and motion designers, like us, to ensure we’re including people who represent the wide spectrum of humanity, not just our own understanding of it.

Disclaimer: We’ll be the first to admit that we’re not perfect, and our process isn’t perfect. However, here are some steps we take and recommend as we strive to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive:

1. ‘Design with, not for’ by including freelancers and cultural consultants early and often.

For instance, for our end client, AlohaCare, scripts were written by the agency MVNP, which was crucial in creating an accurate depiction of Native Hawaiian people and their culture. In the design phase, MVNP consulted on facial features, clothing patterns, and props that were reflective of Native Hawaiian culture. We were provided cultural videos to make sure our animation of hula dancing was accurate and not stereotypical.

Another example was when we were hired to create an educational piece with the intent to spark dialogue, understanding, and action among adults working with children and teens of color in the Cleveland community. It was critical to hire a creative, Jamal Collins⁴, who could drive the story, the creative, and speak to the lived experience in a way none of us possibly could.

If you are a designer, we recommend checking out this book for further information and inspiration: Extra Bold⁵: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-Racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers by Ellen Lupton⁶ and Jennifer Tobias⁷

2. Follow the Americans with Disabilities Act’s guidelines for design and video. No matter what.

Some of our favorite tools to make sure we’re ADA-compliant include:

3. Intentionally create opportunities for designers and animators from different backgrounds and skill levels.

This includes posting jobs and opportunities in accessible places. We have tried, and continue to work on identifying our own blind spots. We prioritize providing an educational internship so animators and illustrators can learn while getting paid for their time with us. (Follow our socials to see when we have our next internship opening.) We recognize going to art school or any secondary school is an immense privilege that not everyone can afford.

We love this resource that helps level the playing field: Creative Codex¹², which has industry-standard definitions for any term in motion design.

4. Depict characters of different ethnicities with accurate features and skin tones instead of copying and pasting a “generic” design and changing the color of their skin.

White is not the default. This isn’t to say that characters can’t be stylized, it’s important that the stylization of the characters is representative and not “faux” diversity.

5. Ensure every video has representation that depicts real kinds of people with varying:

Thoughts
Abilities
Genders
Races
Ages
Experiences
Backgrounds
Sexual Orientations
Languages
Locations
Educations
Religions

This goes far beyond just the visual side, but extends into the conception and scripting of projects as well. Representation behind and beyond the visuals makes for better storytelling, which is important from a human-centered perspective because it increases empathy and connection with others.

And from a business perspective, representation is important for brands because it increases engagement when the content specifically applies to more people, it improves reputation, and makes people want to engage with your brand. In short, it’s a no-nonsense approach.¹³

The following are some examples and not a complete or comprehensive list of inclusive representation. We encourage you to continue with your own research and share with us, your research findings. We’re committed to continuing to learn for the long haul.

(The Incomplete) Inclusive Representation Checklist:

Insulin Pump
Stoma
Body Positivity
Diverse ages
LGBTQ+
Gender Identity
Little People
Gigantism
Facial Mutilation
Cleft Palate
Alopecia
Vitiligo

Mobility Impairments:

Arthiritis
Cerebral Palsy
Limb Difference
Muscular Dystrophy
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Paralysis

Assistive Devices: Wheelchairs, crutches, braces, walkers, canes (not all people with mobility impairments require mobility aids) (Mobility Disabilities¹⁴)

Visual Impariments:

Low vision
Blindness

Assistive Devices: magnifiers, lighting, text-to-speech or talking aids, large-print products, glasses, Braille, and white mobility cane. (Visual Impairments¹⁵)

Hearing Impairments:

Deaf
Hearing Loss
Ménière’s disease

Assistive Devices: Cochlear implants, Bone-anchored auditory implants, hearing aids: behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), receiver-in-the-ear (RITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and CROS/BiCROS, ASL (American Sign Language), closed-captioning. (Hearing Loss¹⁶, Hearing Aid Styles¹⁷, Assistive Devices¹⁸)

Speech Impairments:

Aphasia
Stuttering
Dysarthria

Assistive Devices: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, Assistive listening devices (ALDs), and alerting devices that connect to phones, doorbells or alarms. (Speech Impairment¹⁹)

Cognitive Disabilities:

Learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD)
Memory Loss (Alzheimer’s disease, dementia)
Traumatic Brain Injury
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Down Syndrome

Assistive technology: wheelchairs, reachers, computer adaptions, walkers, widening doorways, bathroom aids like a bench with a grab bar in the shower, medication dispensers, comforting aids like a pet or favorite blanket, and much more. (Cognitive Disabilities²⁰, Intro to Understanding Cognitive Disabilities²¹)

Bonus Tip: Remember that your lived experience is simply that – yours. And that everyone has one. Keep empathy at the forefront of your mind, and everything we’ve listed will be second nature to you.

If you’re looking for a resource for your team, we recommend starting with an organization like The Adaway Group²².

We must constantly strive to be intentionally diverse, equitable, and inclusive²³ so that people from all backgrounds and walks of life feel safe and a part of the work that we create.

Inspired by BIEN²⁴, we at Pixel Park commit to including at least one element of inclusive design (outside of ADA compliance) in every project we touch. It’s the first step in making inclusivity the norm.

What are we missing? This is written from our experience over the years, but we know there is so much more to learn and do. Let us know what resources, tips, and lived experiences have had an impact on you and your work.

At Pixel Park, we’re people-forward and that means we treat our teammates, partners, and audiences as humans. We honor and serve our mission by making sure everyone feels welcomed, safe, and included.

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