An existing mascot can be a strong starting point. The useful question is whether its artwork supports the movement, expressions and runtime behavior your product needs.
Written for: Brand owners, agencies and product designers with an approved character.
Send the source artwork and the intended placement
Share the editable design file, a clean reference image and a screenshot showing where the character will appear. Explain whether the character is an approved brand asset or still open to design changes. A reference image communicates appearance; the editable source helps establish how it can be adapted.
Also identify the desired movement. Blink and breathing work are different from a head turn, a broad gesture or speech. The review should connect the artwork to those requirements rather than treating any flat mascot image as a finished animation rig.
Review the parts that need to move independently
Eyes, eyebrows, mouth shapes, limbs and overlapping body parts may need their own artwork or rig controls. A hand hidden behind the body in a static illustration may need additional drawing if the hand must move into view. The same applies to a mouth shape that never appeared in the original design.
Rive’s character-animation overview describes the drawing, rigging and animation workflow. In a commissioned project, the practical review is specific: which shapes are available, what must be prepared and which poses must the rig support?
Specify the movement range before building the rig
- Eyes and expression: blink, look direction, eyebrow range and the expressions the product actually needs.
- Body motion: idle movement, gesture amplitude and any turns or changes in silhouette.
- Speech: a simple mouth opening, a talking loop or a mapped set of mouth shapes.
- Accessories: whether props or outfit changes affect the rig.
- Screen fit: the safe area and the smallest rendered character size.
Reviewing these boundaries early helps keep the rig reusable. It also makes clear when a new request is a small reaction on the existing rig or a broader design change.
Confirm usage rights and editable delivery
Tell the animator who created the mascot and whether you have permission to adapt it. If an agency or another illustrator owns part of the source, clarify access and approval requirements before production.
The project agreement should distinguish the runtime export, editable character artwork and project/source access. Fonts, images and other external assets may have their own terms. Agree what can be shared with your developers and what may be shown publicly. Those decisions should not be inferred from a thumbnail or an initial quote.
How supplied artwork affects the starting scope
The current supplied-artwork starter begins at $250 for one character with idle plus one extra state, basic State Machine setup and .riv source delivery. That starting scope assumes usable artwork. Significant cleanup, missing parts, additional design and advanced controls need review.
If you need a new custom mascot design, the animation-package minimum is $650 with one design included. The pricing guide explains the state and speech add-ons. A screenshot alone is not enough to confirm a complex rigging quote.
Review expression at the size your users will see
Open Puppy Companion and Gym Rabbit to review two existing characters with different silhouettes and motion. They are portfolio examples, not templates that every brand should copy.
For your mascot, send a preferred default pose and the most demanding planned expression or gesture. I can review that artwork against the character rigging scope and help identify what must be prepared before the animation states are built.