Meet the Creatives Behind the Campaigns

In a recent Q&A session, we sat down with members of our design team, Ethan and Alex, to explore how they use their creative skills in bringing scientific ideas to life through visual communication. From their favourite projects to favourite digital tools, they shared insights into their creative process and what drives their work.

What excites you most about designing for science communication?

Ethan: “I enjoy the process of turning complicated information with lots of moving parts into something that is easy to understand for various audiences through design. Many people think design is just about aesthetics, but at its core, it’s about communication and finding unexpected ways to simplify ideas and make them clearer.”

Alex: “I feel the same. I love the challenge of making complex ideas accessible. Science is full of fascinating stories, and design gives us the tools to tell those stories in ways that spark curiosity and understanding, especially for audiences who might not have a technical background.”

Can you share a project that made you particularly proud and what made it special?

Alex: “We recently developed a client website that allowed us to push our web design capabilities to the next level. Using Webflow, we incorporated scroll-based animations to bring the client’s message and story to life. The results and the client feedback were incredibly rewarding.”

Ethan: “One project that I particularly enjoyed working on was helping the PR team with the design for SynbiTECH, which is a two-day event in December. There are so many different components that make a whole, like social media, website design, digital screens, brochures, and branding. The best part is seeing how everything you have done behind the scenes and all the functional moving parts come together to make the event a success.”

How do you approach turning complex scientific information into something clear and visually compelling?

Ethan: “The two most important things to consider are the objective of the project and the audience. Before starting the design, it is important to consider core message, overall purpose of the design, and what you are trying to get across as well as to whom. Then thinking about how to best present that in a way that is easy to understand.”

Alex: “Exactly. We start by identifying the one thing the audience should walk away knowing. From there, we strip away jargon and use visual metaphors, structure, and hierarchy to guide the viewer. Collaboration with stakeholders is key to ensure accuracy while keeping things digestible.”

What’s one design trend or tool you love using right now and why?

Ethan: “Recently I have really enjoyed using Figma. It is a piece of design software not owned by Adobe but used primarily for website design. Recently, they have been expanding their capabilities to enable not just website design but making an entire website from scratch as well as making social media designs and templates.”

Alex: “The latest generative AI tools are incredibly exciting; they enable us to create designs and imagery in minutes that once took hours. This efficiency frees us to concentrate on delivering higher-quality work for our clients and think more creatively about the concepts behind the designs.”

If you could give one piece of advice to scientists or clients about communicating visually, what would it be?

Alex: “I would say keep it simple and trust the power of whitespace. Visuals don’t need to be overloaded to be effective.”

Ethan: “Always keep the audience in mind. Investors might not need detailed science, while scientists will expect accuracy. For consumers, think about the emotions you want to evoke and how your design will influence decision-making. When done well, design doesn’t just explain, it moves ideas forward and contributes to the message in its own unique way.”