Visualizing science

I work with various partners and scientists to help them understand how to visualize their science for various audiences. We deliberate on the content and details there to figure out what should be visualized in the accompanying images. We collaborate on the spectrum of conceptual and literal as is required for the project.

How do we show cells to an audience that is relatively unfamiliar with the microscopic universe? How do we show the sequential information on transitions in the cellular state? If someone works on protein synthesis and wishes to share that with school students, what can we do that builds on their familiarity with textbook material but also shares something unexpected?

How are objects and processes visualized in science via drawings and illustrations? Where should one remove or retain details? How does the communicated message change with any tweaks we make? Can I place a virus and a human body on the same sheet of paper while trying to communicate relative sizes? How many proteins are there in a cell and how do I talk about that one specific enzyme?