Autistica

Anxiety Explained

Raising Awareness Around Autism and Anxiety

Autistic people are four times more likely to experience anxiety than non-autistic people. A lack of understanding around autism can make anxiety even harder to manage, especially in everyday situations.

Autistica approached us to create an animation for World Autism Awareness Week. Their aim was to help people better understand how anxiety can show up differently for autistic individuals, and to start more open, empathetic conversations around neurodiversity and mental health.

 

A cartoon character with glasses looks worried, sweating slightly, with a tangled scribble above their head, symbolizing confusion and mental overwhelm from anxiety.
Six cartoon faces display various anxious expressions, each with a scribbled thought cloud above their head, symbolizing the diverse ways anxiety can appear across individuals.
A cartoon character looks anxious while staring at a phone, surrounded by chaotic white scribbles on a pink background, symbolizing digital overwhelm or anxiety triggered by mobile device use.

Visualising Anxiety Through an Autistic Lens

Told from the perspective of an autistic person living with anxiety, the animation helps viewers understand common triggers and how anxiety can feel in the moment.

We used a bright, poppy illustration style with stylised characters and a recurring scribble motif to express emotion clearly and accessibly. Every design choice, from colour to pacing was made to support clarity and comfort for neurodivergent viewers, ensuring the animation felt informative, not overwhelming.

 

 

A cartoon office worker looks overwhelmed at a desk, surrounded by a ringing phone, speech bubbles, and a chaotic coffee machine, symbolizing anxiety from multitasking and constant distractions.
A worried cartoon figure stands beside the large word "ANXIETY," which blocks the path to a computer desk, symbolizing how anxiety can obstruct daily tasks or routines.
A cartoon character with a scribble above their head stands anxiously by a water cooler among cheerful coworkers, symbolizing social anxiety or feeling out of place in a workplace setting.
The word “BREAKTHROUGHS” appears boldly as dark shards scatter around it, symbolizing progress, transformation, and overcoming obstacles such as anxiety or mental health challenges.