What it was like creating A Story for Young Carers animation
When I first started working on A Story for Young Carers animation with Carers First and Amazing Minds, I knew it was going to be a meaningful project. The aim was simple but incredibly important. To help young carers understand their role, feel seen, and know that support is out there for them.
Young carers are often hidden in plain sight. Many of them do not even realise that what they are doing has a name. They are just helping their family, because that is what feels natural. This animation needed to gently reflect that reality while opening the door to support in a way that felt safe and relatable.
What made this project so powerful for me was everything that happened before I even opened up my design software.
I had the opportunity to meet the children this project was for. I ran creative workshops with young carers aged 7 to 12, where we spent time drawing, talking and sharing experiences. They spoke about the pressure they feel, the responsibilities they carry, but also the pride and love they have for their families.
Those sessions were incredibly moving. There is something very grounding about hearing these stories first hand. It shifts the way you think as a designer. You are no longer creating something based on a brief or assumptions. You are creating something for real people, with real emotions, that you have sat with and listened to.
That is exactly what shaped the direction of the young carers animation.
The idea of the small robot with a battery came directly from those conversations. It became a simple way to show something quite complex. How young carers can feel like their energy is constantly being drained while trying to balance school, friendships and caring responsibilities. It is a visual that children can understand instantly, because it reflects how they actually feel.
Because I had that direct connection with them, the animation did not feel like a guess. It felt clear. It felt honest. And most importantly, it resonated with them.
This is the part of my job that I do not take for granted.
Being a freelancer gives me access to moments like this. I am not removed from the people I am designing for. I get to step into their world, ask questions, listen properly and understand the problem at its core before I even begin thinking about visuals.
If this project had been handled in a larger agency, there is a good chance that part would have been missed. Not intentionally, but simply because of how those environments are structured. Layers of communication can sometimes create distance between the designer and the audience.
For me, that closeness is everything.
It is what allows me to create work that connects on a deeper level. It is what turns a piece of design into something that actually means something to the people it is for.
And this is not just about this project. It is something I bring into every piece of work I do.
When you work with a freelancer, you are not just hiring someone to make things look good. You are working directly with the person who is thinking, questioning and shaping the outcome. There is a level of understanding that builds naturally through that process, and it makes everything feel more aligned, more collaborative and ultimately more effective.
Projects become easier. Communication becomes clearer. And the end result feels more like it truly fits.
Working on A Story for Young Carers animation is something I will always be proud of. Not just because of the final animation, but because of the people behind it and the stories they trusted me with.
That is what makes this work matter.
You can read up on the full young carers animation watch it by clicking this link.
