Project

Tumor Heterogeneity Infographic

Client

Technology Networks

Year

2021

PROJECT Summary

This scrollable digital infographic was created for the website Technology Networks.

Tumor heterogeneity refers to a tumor being comprised of multiple, distinct subpopulations of cancer cells. The goal of this infographic was to educate the reader about the complexity of this phenomenon, describe the mechanisms responsible, and discuss the clinical implications for cancer treatment.

Research

The content for this infographic was written by a scientific writer. The writer and I had discussions about how they'd like the content laid out, particular imagery to include, and the tone and theme they wanted the infographic to convey.

We decided on a colourful, soft yet vibrant colour palette, which would work well with illustrating different cancer subpopulations in the tumor graphics.

As a former cancer researcher, I was very familiar with the topic and was able to compile appropriate reference materials for each of the illustrations.

Design Process

Cells are used throughout the infographic to build mosaic graphics, including the title. To make the illustration process more efficient, I utilized the symbol tool in Illustrator to create multiple instances of the same 7 cell shapes in combination with the 7 colours used to distinguish distinct cancer subpopulations. Each cell was re-sized and placed individually to create a unique mosaic that brought depth and interest to the illustrations.

Given that this infographic was targeted towards a general science audience, I used a bright and inviting colour palette and illustrated the cells in a simplified way with basic shadows and highlights.

Final Deliverable

The final infographic is colourful and engaging, with ample space between sections to facilitate a smooth reading experience for the user as they scroll.

Due to the size of this infographic, only select portions are presented below. The full infographic can be found on the Technology Networks website, here.

The opening portion of the Tumor Heterogeneity infographic. It features silhouettes of humans alongside definitions for heterogeneity in cancer.

A graphic of a tumor showcasing the various mutations that can lead to tumor heterogeneity.

Illustrations of nucleotide and chromosome mutations and aberrations.