Why am I showing you my dirty messy sketches? Because I love to sketch and ideate and this is where so many of my ideas begin to form and develop. Sketching is an important part of my design and illustration process just as it is important in my UX process. Putting it on paper allows me to work out ideas and see if elements connect or really make sense before eventually being refined in the digital format.
In completing the UX Design certificate and studying the UX Design Process, I have begun to appreciate the similarities in the design thinking process and my medical illustration process. I thought I would discuss those similarities here and define my illustration process at the same time. Medical Illustration is a research intense process even with my medical and scientific knowledge. Research is always changing with new information discovered. The better the research and definition of the ultimate goal of the illustration, the better the end result.
An illustration always begins with a conversation, a story from a client whether it is a marketing professional, a researcher or a clinician. My client usually shares their knowledge of the topic and additional reference materials. I read the material and begin to construct a visual image to relate the material. In addition to my personal knowledge of anatomy, physiology, cell biology and other medical and scientific topics, I do additional research for each illustration to stay current on the topic.
This sketch began with research on helicobacter and gastric ulcers. My client needed the illustration to fit within their current page layout for patient information material that they distribute to their clinicians and potential clients at trade shows. The illustration would need to fit the confined area of the patient information sheet and be friendly and non threatening to the patient. Sometimes the process involves returning to the ideation phase of the project and performing more research to clarify the subject. It is always better to resolve questions and problems early in the illustration process rather than later, just as defining the problem early in the UX process is important to the final project outcome.
In the above sketch, I created each image as an individual sketch and then composited the images in photoshop. This was the initial composited sketch that I sent to the client to review. The client passed it between marketing and clinicians to see that it meets the needs of both groups. Illustrations must be accurate or they are misleading to the viewer and convey misinformation. After review of the initial sketch, the top stomach outlined was deleted. I added type and sent a new sketch for final approval to the client. Once a sketch is approved, I begin work on the color image. Once again, I send the completed color image to the client for review. They review for accuracy, approve or make minor changes. The colors in this image were selected to integrate into the established branding and color scheme of the current patient education sheet and the client website.
Ultimately the type was removed from my illustration and the client created the type in the final patient education sheet.
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