Building a scalable animated experience for character education

Company: Runner

Client: CharacterStrong

Role: Creative Direction, Character Design, Animation Systems, Content Strategy

I was brought on by CharacterStrong to create an animated content library for PurposeFull People, their elementary character education curriculum. After searching for an animator who could build the kind of engaging classroom experiences they envisioned, multiple creators pointed them toward my previous work developing GoNoodle's animated content ecosystem.

I designed the characters, developed the visual world, directed voice production, and built a custom animation system that allowed a small team to produce more than 90 minutes of educational content across videos, songs, movement activities, mindfulness exercises, and character-driven stories. The result was a scalable content engine that transformed CharacterStrong's lessons into memorable experiences students could connect with.

The Challenge

CharacterStrong's PurposeFull People curriculum helps elementary schools teach essential life skills through lessons focused on character development, emotional well-being, and positive classroom culture. The challenge was creating animated experiences that could make these lessons feel engaging and meaningful for young students while still supporting the educational goals behind each lesson.

The goal was not simply to create videos. The content needed to help students connect with characters, remember lessons, practice behaviors, and participate actively in the classroom. That required building a consistent world with recognizable personalities, flexible enough to support everything from storytelling and music videos to movement and mindfulness activities.

Creating that volume of content also required solving a production challenge: how do you maintain the quality and creativity of traditional animation while producing enough content to support a growing educational platform?

The Approach

I approached the project by designing both the creative foundation and the production system behind the content.

I began by creating a cast of original characters built around PurposeFull People's core values, including Sol, Ida, and Tre, representing Be Kind, Be Strong, and Be Well. I worked closely with the team during writing sessions to help shape scripts and ensure the characters could authentically communicate the lessons they represented.

From there, I developed the complete character pipeline, from visual design and personality development to voice casting, recording direction, and final audio production. I personally directed voice performances, edited dialogue, and collaborated through multiple rounds of refinement to create consistent character identities.

To make the content scalable, I built a custom 2D animation workflow using reusable character rigs, animation blending systems, automated lip-sync assistance, and a virtual camera approach that allowed scenes to be created efficiently without requiring fully built environments for every shot.

This system allowed me to produce a wide variety of experiences, including character-based narrative shorts, music videos, mindfulness activities, and movement-based videos. I also directed the environment design process with illustrator Jake Page, creating flexible backgrounds and visual assets that could support the expanding library.

The Outcome

The project resulted in a large-scale animated content library designed specifically for classroom engagement, giving PurposeFull People a new way to teach character development through memorable, interactive experiences.

The custom animation system allowed a significant amount of content to be produced efficiently while maintaining consistency across characters, environments, and storytelling. Instead of creating one-off videos, the work established a repeatable framework CharacterStrong could continue building from.

The biggest impact was creating a bridge between curriculum and experience: turning lessons into characters, stories, movement, and moments students could actively participate in rather than simply watch.

“The best educational content doesn't just explain a lesson. It creates a world students want to step into.”