The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
DCCEEW
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment gave us a unique challenge: to help them keep their Delivery Office informed about new technologies and procedures.
To do this, they were developing a series of screen-recorded training videos. Their vision was to infuse these videos with custom animation to maintain a consistent aesthetic and enhance viewer engagement. We worked with the team to bring this vision to life, drawing stylistic inspiration from BoJack Horseman and iconic New South Wales animals.
The Approach
Following a survey conducted within the Delivery Office, they selected five NSW animals to form the core cast of the project:
• Koala — a supportive and wise elder figure
• Major Mitchell Cockatoo — energetic and outgoing
• Barking Owl — grounded, maternal, and big-picture focused
• Jewelled Gecko — fashionable and forward-thinking
• Platypus — a polymath non-binary character with strengths across multiple roles and a particular affinity for fieldwork
These characters were then placed within a series of animated office scenarios, including meetings, scheduling and fieldwork that highlighted familiar and new technologies and procedures uses.
Visual Style
The animation style was designed to be character-driven and approachable, introducing warmth and personality into otherwise functional training content. Characters were visually distinct and expressive, supporting clarity while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic across all scenes.
By embedding animation directly into the screen-recorded videos, the training materials gained visual interest without detracting from their instructional purpose.
The Result
The final training series has a distinct and engaging visual style, featuring a bespoke cast of animated characters that resulted in a charming internal resource the team is proud of and enjoys using.
The customised characters and scenarios reflect the culture and work of the Delivery Office and the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, supporting engaging internal training through an employee-led approach.
