Duolingo Doubles Down on Design and Animation With Acquisition of Hobbes
July 09 2024 - 7:10AM
Duolingo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOL), the world's leading mobile learning
platform, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of
Hobbes, an animation and motion design studio based in Detroit.
This is Duolingo’s second acquisition, following the successful
2022 acquisition of Gunner, another Detroit-based design and
animation studio that is affiliated with Hobbes. Duolingo uses
animation and motion design to amplify game mechanics and make its
products more fun and engaging. This acquisition marks the
inception of a dedicated motion design team within Duolingo’s
Design department.
“Design is a critical part of Duolingo’s success, particularly
our use of character illustration and animation, which really
accelerated since adding Gunner to our team. Now we’ll be able to
accelerate our use of motion-design by adding Hobbes’ unique
talents to our Design team,” said Ryan Sims, Chief Design Officer,
Duolingo. “We’re investing in the belief that a more animated
product experience is more fun and delightful, and leads to better
learning outcomes.”
The acquisition of Hobbes will add twelve new world-class motion
designers, animators, creative strategists, creative directors, and
producers to Duolingo’s existing design teams and nearly double the
size of Duolingo’s Detroit office. Hobbes is already a motion
design partner for Duolingo, supporting the development of key
features for Duolingo Music, product architecture, animation design
systems, and more.
“We strive to put animators in the driver’s seat for product
design, and Duolingo’s expertise and dedication to art, design, and
continuous improvement align perfectly with our mission,” said Eddy
Nieto, Partner and Creative Director, Hobbes. “This is a huge win
for everyone on our team and we’re excited to grow our community of
top talent here in Detroit,” added Nevin McRay, Managing Partner,
Hobbes.
About DuolingoDuolingo is the leading mobile
learning platform globally. Its flagship app has organically become
the world's most popular way to learn languages and the
top-grossing app in the Education category on both Google Play and
the Apple App Store. With technology at the core of everything it
does, Duolingo has consistently invested to provide learners with a
fun, engaging, and effective learning experience while remaining
committed to its mission to develop the best education in the world
and make it universally available.
About HobbesHobbes is a motion design studio
focused on creative solutions in product design and emerging
technology. Their team specializes in elevating user experiences
forward with function and delight. Clients include future-thinking
product teams at Google, YouTube, Ford, Zapier, and Duolingo.
Contact Information
Investors:Deborah Belevan, IRC,
CPAir@duolingo.com
Media:Sam Dalsimerpress@duolingo.com
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