Meghana Mokhasi

Synaesthesia is a neurological condition where a stimulus elicits an unrelated response. For example, the name “Phillip” can make a person with this condition taste sour oranges, or the musical note C# can be visualised as brown in colour. A person with synaesthesia is called a “synaesthete”. The exact definition of “Synaesthesia” is up for debate. However, it is generally agreed that it is an elicited response to a stimulus that occurs automatically. Traditionally, there are five senses that can be processed by the brain. They are – vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell and these sensations can be further broken down. For example, vision includes colour perception and identification of shapes. Therefore, there are over 100 different types of synaesthesia. Synaesthesia can be present at birth or acquired. There are many hypotheses and theories about the specific cause of synaesthesia. Synaesthesia can affect a person’s memory and creativity.

A 2D animation with 3D elements was made to educate people about the condition in a bright and engaging way. The complex topic of sensory perception is depicted using illustrated assets that are easy to understand at first watch. Animation was chosen as a medium because it can be translated into multiple languages and modified based on audiences. Based on survey responses, this animation was very successful in improving people’s knowledge about synaesthesia while also sparking interest in further research in some participants.