Hearing Loss Animations: ANSD and OTOF
Industry: Biotechnology
Client Type: Biotech company
Purpose: Patient and caregiver education
Deliverables: Two 2D animations, delivered for workshop and digital platform use
Year: 2024
Project Description
A biotechnology company developing treatments for genetic hearing loss needed two patient education animations explaining the underlying biology of hearing loss in children diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD) and OTOF gene mutations.
ANSD is a hearing disorder in which the outer hair cells of the cochlea function normally but the transmission of signals from the inner ear to the auditory nerve is disrupted. OTOF mutations affect otoferlin, a protein essential for synaptic transmission at the inner hair cell level. Both conditions can result in significant hearing impairment and are increasingly the focus of gene therapy development programmes aimed at addressing the genetic root cause rather than managing symptoms through hearing aids or cochlear implants.
The audience for these animations was parents and caregivers of affected children, people with no clinical background who needed to understand a complex genetic mechanism clearly enough to make informed decisions about testing, diagnosis, and emerging treatment options. Simplification without loss of accuracy was essential. Parents needed to leave these animations with a genuine understanding of what was happening in their child’s auditory system, not a vague impression of it.
Our Solution
Kryski Biomedia storyboarded both animations, integrating the client’s existing visual library and applying their established colour palette throughout to maintain brand consistency. Each animation was structured to build understanding incrementally, moving from the anatomy of the ear, to the specific genetic disruption, to its functional consequence on hearing, one step at a time.
The pacing was designed for a lay audience: no step was assumed, no term was left unexplained, and each visual transition was written to reinforce rather than introduce the previous concept. The animations were reviewed at storyboard stage and at rough cut to ensure scientific accuracy was maintained through every simplification decision.
Both animations were delivered for deployment in clinical workshop settings and online patient education platforms, where families access them alongside diagnosis and counselling.
Why patient education animation requires specialist knowledge
Explaining a genetic mechanism of hearing loss to a parent in a way that is both accurate and genuinely understandable is a harder brief than it sounds. Oversimplify and the animation fails the parent who needs to ask informed questions of their clinical team. Include too much detail and the core message is lost.
Medical illustrators trained in biomedical communications are equipped to make these editorial decisions, understanding the science deeply enough to know what can safely be simplified and what must be preserved. Kryski Biomedia brings that dual capability to every patient education project.
Services: 2D Animation, Patient Education, Biotech Communications
