A day in the life of a scientific graphic designer

I studied biological sciences at university back home in Taiwan. After graduation, I started a job as an administrative assistance in a research institute. During this time, I took evening courses in arts and design and started helping scientists at work with their diagrams. I then enrolled in the MSc in Science Communication at Imperial College London and then worked in research outreach for a couple of years before fully committing in Scientific illustration and design as a freelancer. I am now working full-time as a Scientific Graphic Designer at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK.

I’ve always been interested in the natural world and curious about how things work from a young age. I would spend hours observing insects or watching science documentaries. The beauty and complex designs of organisms fascinate me. It was an obvious choice for me to study something related to natural sciences when I had to choose my majors at university.

My other main passion in life is in arts and design. After finishing my degree in biological sciences at university, I realized I didn’t want a career working on the lab bench. So I decided not to pursue further studies in the biomedical field. This decision took a lot of courage to make because it was opposite to what most of my peers decided to do. I considered going back to school to retrain as a designer for a complete career change. But reluctant to leave the scientific world behind, I eventually started my first job as an administrative assistance at a research lab.

During this time, I took evening courses in art and design and started to help scientists at work with their diagrams. These would include figures for publication, posters, talks, etc. I even volunteered to design conference programmes, research group logos and websites. It was a great way for me to practice my design skills fresh out of my evening lessons. At the same time, I noticed I was enjoying it a lot. Since then, I started picking up any opportunity to create designs in science.

The science documentaries I grew up with and the animations about DNA that came with our text books in DVDs at university had really inspired me to make a career out of combining science and art. I love the fact that I can stay in the scientific community as an artist.

Most of my days are spent either working on designs or having discussions with my clients about their projects. My clients would include scientists, students and colleagues in public engagement. They reach out to our team with a request or idea and we would start initial discussions to set a direction for the project. Most requests are pretty straightforward. It can be journal covers, graphical abstracts, figures or animations. I also help with video edits and web design sometimes. A portion of my effort goes into designing for wider audiences on public engagement projects. The LMB is involved in many outreach activities and have our own Open Day event every now and then. I designed our Open Day event logo (animated), programme, t-shirts and give-away tote bags. It was a lot of fun!

Apart from the obvious skills in art and design, I would say communication and time management skills are also very useful! I see my work as a collaboration between my clients and me. Good communication skills are definitely key to help me understand the science or expectations of the clients. It also helps me explain my process and ideas back to them clearly. Being a good listener and keeping the dialogue both ways is crucial to a smooth collaboration. Another skill would be project management. I often have to work on multiple projects at the same time and being able to plan and prioritize different projects helps me meet deadlines without causing burnout.

I think science and design are more similar than most people think. They are both about solving problems in which involves some level of creativity. In both science and design, often times we need to ask interesting questions and come up with interesting solutions. The other similarity is a lot of trial and error during the process. Quite often, scientific discoveries are built upon many failed experiments. It is similar in design. There is the process of trying different ideas, layout, colours, etc., to get to the end product.

Another similarity I notice is both fields evolve pretty fast. New discoveries or improvements are made in the scientific world every day. It’s a similar scenario in the design world. Design tools evolve and new powerful ones are being created every so often. Therefore, it is important to keep oneself up-to-date with the knowledges and techniques in both fields. Especially in the era where AI tools are becoming more accessible to us. It’s important to have an open mind and willingness to learn and improve constantly.

Every project is like a new exciting challenge to me. As I get to work with different research groups working on different topics, no two projects are the same. It always feels like a fresh start every time. I enjoy the dynamic and non-repetitive aspect of my work and that adds to the sense of accomplishment when I finish an artwork.

Some of the most challenging and rewarding projects I’ve worked on so far would be the infographics for The Lancet Commission articles. These reports can reach up to 80 pages long. The aim of the infographics is to summarize the reports and spark interest in readers as well as reach broader audiences. What I find the most challenging about these projects is to visualize abstract ideas such as mental health or public health policies. The initial brainstorming stage can be challenging at times. But once that barrier is crossed it’s particularly rewarding. Also, some of these reports are launched at the UN assemblies which is another reason for me to feel proud of being part of discussions at a global scale.

The other thing I enjoy about my job is getting to learn about the science behind my projects. It’s a privilege to be part of the cutting-edge research scientists do by helping them share their exciting discoveries.

And last but not least is of course hearing from happy clients! The joy of seeing clients getting excited about how their ideas are visualized helps me grow and develop as an artist.

It might appear to many people that my job is just about polishing graphics or images. There is actually a lot more to it in the process of creating designs. A complete process would begin from my learning about the science or key messages from the scientists. I would then digest that information and think about visual narratives to best tell the story. Where there are countless possibilities in visual storytelling, my job is to transform scientific ideas into designed visuals that would appeal to the target audience.

I would say building a solid foundation in both sciences and art can come a long way. My background in biological sciences helps me understand the scientists and their work better and faster. It’s not impossible, but it can be challenging for an artist without any science background to visualize scientific ideas. It would be as challenging for the scientists trying to communicate with them. My training at the lab bench also keeps me be mindful of the daily challenges scientists face. The occasional tight deadlines or special requests from journal editors or new discoveries resulting in change of direction of the artwork during the process can seem overwhelming or inconvenient to designers who are used to more typical art projects. But to me, the ability to adapt and resolve things quickly is also why science and my work is exciting. I think having this kind of understanding as a designer is important in collaborations between different fields like science and art.

For art, I’m a believer of building foundations from traditional arts. Starting from still life drawing or sketching can really help train our observational skills and practice on the basics like light and shade, colours, composition, etc. No doubt it’s a skill where practice makes perfect. So be prepared to spend many hours on improving yourself in art and don’t be afraid to fail.

Lastly, finding a niche is also important in developing a career in both science and art. Not to mention when it’s a career with both combined! Work in a field of science you like and create the kind of art you enjoy creating. This may be anything from illustration, infographics, 2D/3D animation, etc. Keep exploring and practicing while you discover the type of art to specialize in.