This ramble is not just for writers but also artists. You can use a lot of things to indicate things to an audience. Some are easier to understand than others.
An example of easy to understand characterization through design. A medieval/fantasy setting, the character wears armor and has a variety of slash and puncture scars on the exposed skin. They are obviously an experienced fighter and still in the profession.
Anthropomorphic characters add a new layer to this. I recommend going for the more biological interpretation of it than the cultural interpretation. This is to avoid instances like owls being considered wise by European cultures and foolish in Asian cultures. Be aware of the cultural interpretations of an animal. So you can avoid any confusion and unintentional meanings.
An example of how it could create confusion. If you used an owl character as the smart one in a group. To some you are giving the impression that they are a fake intellectual or someone who only claims to know something but actually doesn't. So be aware of them to avoid such confusion ahead of time.
An example of using the biological interpretation. When we were designing Olivia and James, Violet asked me to pick a species less used for each of them. They didn't want them to be just another wolf or lion. Well I wanted them to both be a bit more shy. We quickly agreed to have Olivia as an American Cheetah and James as a Maned Wolf.
For those who don't know. An American Cheetah is a genus of extinct cats. They were similar in size to a mountain lion/cougar and had a build similar to a cross between a cougar and an African Cheetah.
I used that along with her wardrobe to communicate a more shy and old fashioned personality. However, I tried to communicate with her large for her frame bust, that she is sexually open.
With James being a Maned Wolf. It was to show him as a more introverted person who is comfortable with little social interaction and forms a strong bond with his partner. Maned wolves being solitary predators was also to communicate how he is constantly observant of everything.
