2D Animator for Infant Psychology Research Task (Children’s Animation Style)

Job description:
We’re looking for a talented 2D animator with experience in children’s animation to help bring a fun and engaging research project to life! Our team of psychology researchers is working to create an animated task for babies (ages 6 to 12 months). In this task, babies will look at colorful shapes on a screen, and depending on what they choose, a short video will play. The goal is to see how quickly they learn to look at the “rewarding” option.

We need:

1. Several 3-second animated videos with original illustrations and sound that are fun and visually appealing to babies. These videos should feature engaging moving objects (e.g., boats, a carousel), or animals that babies are not very familiar with (think penguins, llamas, butterflies, or jellyfish—not dogs or cats). No people, person-like animals, or voices, please!

2. For each video, we’ll also need a “scrambled” version—the same visual and audio elements rearranged in a way that’s not coherent but still matched in brightness, color, and sound level.

3. A few very short, attention-grabbing animations (less than 1 second) of a single object like a spinning star or a growing/shrinking toy, with a quick sound, to help focus the baby’s attention on part of the screen.

We want the animations to be colorful and playful—but not overly bright, fast, or noisy, since our goal is to keep the babies calm and focused.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience with 2D animation for young children
• A fun, colorful style that’s baby-friendly (but not overstimulating)
• Comfort with creating both original and “scrambled” versions of animations
• Willingness to collaborate through a few rounds of feedback—we’re a research team with specific needs, and your input will be important!

Timeline & Budget:
We’d love to get started soon. Please include your portfolio, your rate, and an estimate of how long you think the project would take. Looking forward to working together!

Can you provide examples of your preferred style?

We are open to a wide range of different styles, but generally prefer colorful + semi-muted 2D illustrations, like those seen in shows like “Puffin Rock”, “Curious George”, or “Brave bunnies”

Who are you, and what do you do
We are a psychology research lab studying infant development: https://shuffreylab.com/

In what capacity are you hiring?
For my lab, to be paid via a one-time purchase order

Where are you in the hiring process?
I will possibly make a paid hire

What type of work is this?
Single job with potential follow up work

What experience level is needed?
Mid-level (Industry Average): $35-75,Senior: $75-100,Expert: $100+