ABOUT

The illustration and animation were commissioned to explain how biobanks support cancer research. My role was to illustrate complex concepts for animation in a clear, transparent and human way, to help patients and the wider public see the real-world impact of participation.

The Brief
The illustration and animation were commissioned to explain how biobanks support cancer research. Using simple storytelling and visual metaphors, the animation’s role was to:
- Explain how biobanks support cancer research.
- Show how the samples and data are used responsibly.
- Help patients and the public see the real-world impact of participation.
- Build trust through clear communication (trust is essential for progress in cancer care)
In terms of branding guides limitations and consistency, the brief was quite loose. I was able to define my own colour palette for the illustrations, and it allowed for creative exploration with various textures and shapes.

The Concept
The concept was to visualise the journey of cell samples: from the moment they are collected, through processing and storage, to the point where they are placed in Petri dishes for treatment testing and later used and stored by researchers. The aim was to make this complex pathway easy to follow and visually coherent.
Although the brief deliberately mentioned the visuals of the samples and cells do not have to be scientifically accurate, I spent a bit of time researching how cells from each sample category look in real life looking at online photos and videos taken under a microscope.
I even got to see some incredible photography and biomedical imaging at the Wellcome Photography Prize exhibition at Francis Crick Institute in London (perfect timing for this project).
I then drew my own versions of each sample and applied textures and bold colours to differentiate each category and to create a rich micro universe of made-up cells to help tell the story.
The intricate 2D illustrations of the ‘made-up’ magnified cells were presented as if viewed through a microscope lens, to immerse the audience in this microscopic world while clearly communicating each stage of the process.

The Process
A first stage was to come with a look and feel so I created 4-5 still frames illustrating some of the script lines which were chosen together with the producers during the brainstorming session. Then, after a couple of tweaks and amends I went ahead and created frames for each scene in the animated section of the video. The end storyboard was created in After Effects, to make the transition easy for the in-house animator (they had all the assets textures ready to go in separate scenes ready for animation)

The Execution
The video was edited and animated in-house by the CH Video team. I created illustrations, detailed static frames and suggested ways to animate and transitions for each line in the script.
The illustrations were animated in-house by CH Video and formed roughly 1 minute animated sequence of a total of a 2.5 minute film. The film was created for the KHP in association with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

I worked digitally using the Adobe suite (Illustrator and After Effects). Although the brief deliberately asked the visuals of the samples and cells not to be scientifically accurate, I spent time researching how cells from each sample category look in real life under the microscope. I then applied textures and bold colours to create a rich micro universe of made-up cells to help tell the story.


My Role: Illustration, Art Direction
Editing and animation: Aidan Patterson, Sam Thorpe
Producers: Madeline Razzell, Ashleigh Chahin
Production Company: CH Video