The Science Behind Design is a practice-lead project based on visual communication within healthcare. An illustrated story was design and written based on the ‘Human Allergic Response’ as an example of a communicative effort between healthcare professionals and the patient.

When a patient steps through the doors of a physicians office, there can be a sense of uncertainty, nervousness and trepidation. A physician has the responsibility of relaying sensitive information to a patient which can be likened to the passing of a torch. Once a doctor has conveyed strict instruction and detailed information about a potentially volatile condition, it is the patients duty to retain that information as well as take it seriously if they are to take care of their health responsibly. A failure in the passing of this torch is significant as a breakdown in communication can lead to a poorer health outcome for the patient and a potential issue of malpractice for the doctor. In order to get a message across, there needs to be an appreciation for what a patient can understand as well as a sense of empathy towards the patients anxieties in hearing this new and unfamiliar information. The premise of this assignment was to carry out a translation between two primary disciplines. As a designer, this assignment opened up an opportunity to attempt a project which would utilise my personal background as a biomedical scientist and form a unique practice.

This project addresses visual communication, health literacy, storytelling and design as a way to bridge gaps in communication between patients and health practitioners from a perspective of a designer who has experience as both a scientist and communication designer.