Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (2018)

Process Work

1. Writing a Preliminary Sequential Report

First, the pathology was researched and a step-by-step written description of the pathogenesis was written. This included identifying discrete steps/stages that can be visualized, main "actors", the scene, time frame, and scale of these events. 

2. Studying How to Visualize Typical and Pathological Tissue

Once a concept was chosen, it was further refined iteratively. During this process a list of the visual elements the final illustration would include was created. For each element, the data needed to accurately depict that element and a potential source for that data was listed.

3. Creating Thumbnail Sketches

Using the report and studies, a rough first pass at the narrative and layout was made and communicated through a few thumbnail sketches, focusing on experimenting different ways to communicate the same story. Supervisor and peer feedback were solicited on these thumbnails. This helped inform a few major design decisions going into the next stage. 

4. Creating a Comprehensive Sketch

A more detailed sketch of the final layout was developed iteratively, and feedback was solicited from other student biomedical communicators and faculty supervisor. The comprehensive sketch was then revised, and submitted to be reviewed and approved by both the project's faculty supervisor and content advisor prior to proceeding.

5. Creating Colour Thumbnails

Colour thumbnails were also created to visually test the colour palette of the piece. Feedback was solicited from the project's faculty supervisor and peers. 

6. Ensuing Inclusivity; Gathering Feedback from the Public

One specific weakness in available health education material on PCOS I identified is that they typically use exclusive language and symbols. This makes the information not as accessible for all individuals with a uterus who may experience PCOS.

As such, I reached out to the greater public community for feedback and input. I workshopped some visual solutions based on this feedback with other student biomedical communicators as well as my faculty advisor, and shared my results for more feedback with the public via social media (Instagram). 

7. Digitally Rendering and Compiling

Once comprehensive sketch was approved by the faculty supervisor and content advisor, the finished assets were digitally rendered and then compiled into the final layout in Adobe Illustrator.

8. Feedback and Revisions

Feedback was solicited from the Dr. Shelley Wall, other biomedical communicators, and students, and revisions.