This project was a self-initiated passion piece where I explored the full pipeline of bringing a character to life in Rive. From concept design to art direction to animation, the goal was to create a smooth idle loop that feels alive and expressive while staying lightweight and interactive-ready.

1. Character Design & Art Direction I started by sketching and designing the character, focusing on clean shapes and a friendly personality that could carry subtle movement well. Colors and proportions were chosen with animation in mind simple, bold forms that translate well into motion.

2. Asset Preparation The character was broken down into separate parts (head, torso, limbs, details) for rigging in Rive. This setup made it easier to animate nuanced movements like breathing, blinking, and small gestures.

3. Animation in Rive Using Rive’s state machine, I created a looping idle animation with natural motion principles:

Breathing cycle (slow chest/torso rise and fall)

Secondary motion in clothing/accessories to avoid stiffness

The goal was to capture a sense of personality without over-animating, keeping it balanced between realism and stylization.

The final idle animation is seamless, lightweight, and production-ready for use in apps, games, or onboarding experiences. It demonstrates how Rive can turn a static illustration into something engaging and alive, while still optimized for performance.

This project reflects my ability to take an idea from concept → design → animation and deliver a polished interactive asset that can enhance any digital product or brand experience.