A science picture is worth a thousand papers — Inside the world of Jen Power
Every great design begins with an even better story.
Lorinda Mamo — Designer.
Storytelling is an art form that former scientist Jen Power masters through her design work. But her storytelling does not focus on tabloid gossip or daily news, instead, she looks at ways “to communicate science accurately, simply, and effectively and to combat science disinformation.”
Jen’s story herself is unique: when she started out as a researcher in the fertility field, she was very intentional that her journey would not end up at the lab bench, but behind the screen of a computer in front of a design software. Her enthusiasm for science emerged already in high school, together with her passion for design developed through a class in communication technology. She did not know, then, that it was possible to merge those two interests. So, she designed her own path. “I figured there must be a place for designers in the science field — making figures and infographics for various publications — so I set my sights on following that trajectory.” She tells us, “When I completed my Bachelor of Science, I still really enjoyed research and wanted to delve more into it, so I did my Master of Science. Two months after I defended my thesis, I started design school!”
The public often thinks of scientists as single-focused creatures, confined in their lab 60h/week — and with very few other creative outlets. Fortunately, this portrayal is changing, and we often hear more about the story of scientists like Jen, who love science but also have other interests and passions and can successfully merge all together to make an impact in society.
For the untrained eye, science and design might seem two very diverse and very far worlds. Jen would quickly intervene and highlight how the two disciplines can have more in common than one might think, and how they could benefit from each other. “It’s all about problem-solving; coming up with new ideas and executing them.” — She said, referring to both science and design. In fact, she reflects that her favorite thing of being a scientist was the “‘ah-ha’ moments, how after weeks of trying to get an experiment to work, or going through experiment results, or reading through the literature, and then it just clicks”. On this train of thought, she also realizes that she experiences the same thing when doing her design work.
This mixed bag of skills resonates in the designer’s work. Jen’s illustrations have a lot of character. While she does not recognize herself in a defined art style, her unique experiences give her work a distinctive edge. You will find bold and effective typography (Jen’s favorite aspect of design) and colors carefully chosen to evoke certain emotions based both on the tone of the message and the target audience. Furthermore, her “analytical, science mind is a huge asset when figuring out how to visualize something”, as well as it is “the ability to read and assess publications (to ensure what [she] is visualizing is correct and accurate).”
For Jen, there is no separation between design and science. They are two complementary aspects of life. She comments: “It’s funny when people talk about being left-brained (associated with science and analysis) or right-brained (associated with creativity) — I like to think of myself as being a whole-brained designer because I’m always using both!”
We could write an entire essay dissecting and studying the beauty and the effectiveness of Jen’s stylistic choices, but peeking at the motivations behind her work is far more interesting. She makes great designs beginning in the great stories of science: “A huge driver for me is communicating science (to both scientific and lay audiences) and dispelling science disinformation.”
“Science is such an integral part of my life (and everyone’s lives whether they understand it or not), and I want to share how incredible science is with as many people as possible.”
While she loves for a design to go into the world for people to enjoy, “the best is when someone tells [her] they’ve learned something from [her] work.”
“Good design is a huge necessity in science, especially when you’re trying to disseminate incredibly complex and nuanced concepts. A clear, concise, and accurate figure makes a world of difference.” She continues. Looking back at her years as a scientist, she wishes she had a better understanding of good design. She recommends that any scientist who wants to improve their communication skills look into a beginner design course that addresses information hierarchy, typography, and accessibility.
She suggests scientists ask a set of questions to improve their communication: “Will this be a comfortable reading experience for the target audience? Will their eye be taken to the most important piece of information first? Will people who are color-blind be able to distinguish between the colors used in this graphic? Is there enough contrast? Is the text large enough for people with vision issues? Is the message being conveyed effectively?”
It is a breath of fresh air to see that much focus on accessibility and inclusion. But this too is part of Jen’s motivation, “especially after witnessing sexism in science first-hand.” That is why she finds inspiration in Rosalind Franklin, who experienced sexism at multiple stages in her career from the lack of support from her own father to being mistreated by her male coworkers and the lack of recognition for her contribution to the discovery of the DNA structure. Jen honored this science pioneer, with an animated short giving a brief history of Franklin’s involvement in discovering the DNA double helix structure.
“I want to create designs that are inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all, especially to people who have been marginalized.” She concludes on the topic.
When asked about what the future holds for her, Jen reassured us that she does not have any plans to focus on more generic designs and disconnect her work from science: “Science is such an integral part of my life (and everyone’s lives whether they understand it or not), and I want to share how incredible science is with as many people as possible.”
And while no big project is on the horizon, outside of the flow of graphics for her day job, she left us hoping someday, given the time to plan it, we would be able to buy some of her beautiful and informative designs.
In the meantime, you can check Jen’s current work on her website and her Instagram.
You can read the full interview here and discover some personal aspects of this amazing designer, like her favorite music to listen to when making her magic.
