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CREDITS
style development, storyboards, illustrations, and GIF animations: Little Red Cozette

creative direction: Adam Moorman

project management: Ana Tellez

senior editor: Amy Behrens

user testing: Mary Ann Brody, Ana Tellez, Sandy Hilfiker

agency: Communicate Health

Animation >

Developmental Delay GIFs

(American Academy of Pediatrics)

The American Academy of Pediatrics needed an effective tool for developmental evaluation, but the sensitive subject matter required an equally sensitive solution. 

 

The visual aids AAP often relies upon feature real children with real disabilities. But the personal nature of the existing footage is often too emotionally triggering for parents to use when evaluating their child's development. 

 

My role with the project was to animate the motor delays exhibited in AAP file footage. When illustrating each frame, I kept all of the relevant detail while avoiding potentially distracting elements such as overly bright colors or facial expressions whenever possible. This approach helps parents focus on the most important aspect - the child's movement. 

 

During testing, the results were overwhelmingly positive. Parents who had difficulty viewing the previous videos were excited and comforted by this solution. They voluntarily viewed the animations multiple times and and left the testing session feeling empowered rather than discouraged. One user even cried tears of joy because she was relieved to know other parents could watch these instead of the old footage of children struggling.

See the complete motor delay tool at HealthyChildren.org.

User testing highlights

"...At first, I was like 'What exactly is a waddle?' and then by playing this, it's very clear. I like the graphic. I like the motion of the arms. Very natural..."

  

When asked what she DISliked, one user said, "I also love the illustrations. Those really help to give a visual for the developmental delay."

  

One testing administrator summarized the session, "That may have been the most positive usability test we have ever had."

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