Roehampton University

Autism and Music Research Project

An Illustration of Yellow tambourine character with orange shoes and a happy face waving under the name Ted the Tambourine.

Smiling purple castanet with big eyes, a pink bow and shoes, named Cassie the Castanet.

Character shaped like a keyboard with green body, afro hair, red glasses, and boots named Kai the Keyboard.

Helping Children Learn Through Music and Animation

The Applied Music Research Centre at Roehampton University commissioned us to design a series of animated characters based on musical instruments used by autistic children. The animations needed to be fun, engaging, and full of personality, while demonstrating accurate instrument use, helping young learners understand how to interact with the instrument through approachable visual storytelling.

Blue character with jingle bells for hair and a red dress, waving beside text saying Bobbi the Bells.

Bringing Instruments to Life

We designed a cast of vibrant, character-based animations, each tailored to reflect the unique features and playability of different musical instruments, including more complex ones like the Ocarina. Careful attention was given to scale and usability. Original music and vocals were provided by the Royal College of Music. The animations have been warmly received by children, supporting musical learning through fun, accessible content.

Pink maraca with one eye and rosy cheeks, smiling under the name Suki the Shaker.