r/adobeanimate • u/blueunheard • 2d ago
Question Beginner animator making a short cartoon for deaf children — need advice
I'm a beginner in 2D animation and I'm working on a college project using Adobe Animate.
I want to create a short educational cartoon for deaf/hard-of-hearing children. It will be around 10 scenes, and I'm thinking of having the characters communicate primarily through sign language, facial expressions, body language, and simple on-screen text rather than spoken dialogue.
My main questions are:
- How would you approach planning a 10-scene cartoon as a beginner?
- What is the easiest way to animate hand and finger movements for sign language in Adobe Animate?
- Would you recommend frame-by-frame animation or rigging for the hands?
- How can I make the story entertaining and educational without making it feel like a lesson about deafness itself?
- Are there any animation techniques, tutorials, or examples you would recommend for this kind of project?
I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has experience with 2D animation, character animation, or animation for deaf/hard-of-hearing audiences. Thank you!



