Rive Expert Badge Achieved at Contra🎉
- Aya
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
I’m delighted to share that Ayaka Fuji, designer at LITTLE FUJI has been officially recognized as a Rive Expert at Contra!
Rive is an interactive and lightweight animation tool that allows creators to design rich, real-time animations that can be seamlessly integrated across various platforms such as websites, apps, and game engines.
Today, I’ll share what makes Rive so inspiring, how it can be used, and how LITTLE FUJI brings expressive animations to life✨
What Is Rive?
Rive is an innovative animation software that makes it possible to create vector-based 2D animations and complex interactive designs in a lightweight format.
I first started using Rive in January 2025, and my first encounter with it was nothing short of a revelation.
Previously, I had been creating 2D animations using After Effects, but Rive completely changed my workflow.
Design Mode in Rive for Vector Based Graphic Design
In the editor screen in Rive, it is divided into Design Mode and Animate Mode.
In Design Mode, you can create vector graphics using an interface that feels almost identical to Figma.
You can also create multiple animations within a single file by using artboards.
With the recent Library update, it has become even easier for teams to share and manage assets within a single scene.
By tagging layers and organizing elements with keywords, you can keep complex projects clean and searchable—minimizing development-side stress and keeping your design files well structured.
Using Animation Mode for Keyframe Timeline Animation
The Animation mode allowing you to set keyframes directly in the animation mode.
The interface is simpler and easier to understand than After Effects, yet it still offers essential animation features such as easing, looping, and timeline control.
State Machine for Complex Interactive Animation
What makes Rive truly unique is its State Machine, which allows you to control animation playback through user interactions such as mouse hover or click.
With more advanced techniques like data binding, you can even control those interactions directly within your app or web environment.
It truly feels like a platform that unifies graphic design, animation, and interactivity into a single, seamless creative process.
One of the most impressive aspects is its lightweight performance.
While animation GIFs often become too heavy for web use, I used to rely on After Effects + Lottie Files to keep animations lightweight.
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However, Rive achieves a similar level of optimization as Lottie while offering far more powerful interactivity and data control capabilities.
Integration into websites or web applications is also simple.Rive files can be embedded directly using the .riv format or through embed code, making implementation flexible and developer-friendly.
Use Cases of Rive
Rive has been adopted by a wide range of leading brands and digital products.
Examples include Duolingo, a language learning app, Figma’s homepage, and Dropbox’s brand guidelines page.
Duolingo creates new role bridging designers and devs - Rive Blog, Case Study
Dropbox launches interactive brand guidelines site using Rive - Rive Blog, Case Study
A more unique example can be found in Hiber’s 3D-based web game “Manchester City”, which also integrates Rive animations for interactive motion.
Manchester City, a Web3D game built with Hiber3D and Rive - Rive Blog, Case Study
All of these examples are featured on Rive’s official Case Studies page, so be sure to check it out for inspiration.
What is the Rive Expert Program?
The Rive Experts Program is an official certification available exclusively through the freelance platform Contra.
Only designers and developers who pass the review process can earn the Rive Expert badge.
As of October 2025, there are 119 certified Rive Experts on Contra.
To qualify, applicants must submit at least three portfolio projects (including two created with Rive) and provide a professional summary describing their primary focus, expertise, and how they differentiate themselves as a Rive Expert.
I, Ayaka Fuji, applied for the program on October 14, 2025 and was officially certified as a Rive Expert on October 20, 2025.
With this recognition, I have now earned three Expert Badges on Contra — Rive Expert, Spline Expert, and Heygen Proofreader.
Previously, I was also certified as a Wix Studio Expert, but unfortunately, Contra discontinued the Wix Studio and general Expert Programs last month.
A Glimpse of My Submitted Portfolio👀
Here is one of the portfolio pieces I submitted for the Rive Experts Program. *Hover or Click on the magnificent glass👇
“Chloroplast in Green Leaf” was designed with elementary science education in mind, using Rive to create an engaging and hands-on learning experience.
Students can move a magnifying glass with their cursor to observe the surface of a leaf up close, and by clicking, they can zoom in further to see a short looping video of chloroplasts moving inside the leaf cells.
Since I often create digital educational content and have a background as a learning designer, this concept came naturally to me.
By using Rive’s interactive animation, students can learn more proactively and spark a genuine sense of curiosity and wonder.
For more details, check my portfolio page on Contra.
When to Use Rive Animations?
So, in what kinds of projects can Rive animations be effectively used?
As mentioned in the previous section, Rive integrates seamlessly with a wide range of platforms through Rive Runtimes.
Currently, you can implement Rive animations on the following platforms:
Web (JavaScript)
React
C++
Defold
Apple and Android Apps
Unity
Unreal Engine
Webflow
Flutter
Framer
Wix
This website, LITTLE FUJI Design Studio also features Rive animations.
A good example can be seen on the top page, where the Kiwi and Fuji characters were animated using Rive.
Beyond lightweight micro-animations for websites and mobile apps, Rive can also be used to build interactive mini-games, UI designs, or educational digital assets that visualize complex information through step-by-step animations and interactions.
By combining Rive’s state machine and data binding, designers can bring life and logic together in real time.
Rive vs Spline, Rive vs Lottie
Rive vs Spline
Rive is often compared with Spline and Lottie.
While Spline also enables interactive experiences, it is primarily a 3D-based design tool.
Rive, on the other hand, is best suited for vector-based 2D animation.
In my workflow, I typically use Rive for 2D and Spline for 3D.
However, it is also possible to combine both tools — for example, by exporting a 3D sequence from Spline and importing it into Rive to merge it with 2D interactivity.
Rive vs Lottie
Recently, Lottie released dotLottie State Machine, a new feature that allows more dynamic control of animations.
I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but from what I’ve seen in tutorials, the editing interface seems simpler compared to Rive.
Interestingly, you can import Lottie animations directly into Rive, which opens up exciting possibilities.
For instance, I often use Lottie animation assets for complex motion sequences such as walk cycles, then import them into Rive to add interactive elements and user-triggered actions.
Rive Animation Services by LITTLE FUJI - Certified Rive & Spline Expert
LITTLE FUJI Design Studio is a creative design studio based in New Zealand, led by multidisciplinary designer Ayaka Fuji.
We offers interactive design services using Rive and Spline, combining motion, 3D, and web technologies to create expressive and engaging experiences.
With a multi-dimensional design approach, LITTLE FUJI specializes in integrating multiple tools and platforms such as Wix Studio with Rive or Spline with Rive to deliver flexible and tailored solutions for each client.
Graphics for Rive projects are often prepared in Canva or Figma, ensuring organized design files that are easy for teams to edit and hand over after delivery.
Recently, Ayaka has developed a strong passion for designing for early-childhood and primary-age learners.
She enjoys creating accessible, positive, and playful designs that help children learn with curiosity and joy.
As a Rive Expert, We continues to explore new ways to use Rive by developing digital learning materials that spark curiosity in students and micro animations that bring delight to users :)
We also shares personal Rive projects periodically, showcasing creative experiments and interactive ideas.
Feel free to check them out or get in touch to discuss your project! My Contra Page : Here
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