Emerging Medical Technologies
Editorial 3D cover illustration for the IMS Magazine
This editorial journal cover was completed for the Institute of Medical Science's (IMS) quarterly research magazine, which garners 1000+ readers per issue. This cover design was completed using Autodesk Maya and composited in Photoshop.
Currently in print.
Date: Spring 2019
Format: print/digital.
Skills: 3D modelling, editorial design
Tools: Autodesk Maya, Molecular Maya, Adobe Photoshop.
Design Challenge
Create a 3D editorial magazine cover that is visually intriguing, dynamic, and captures the spirit of the theme "emerging medical technologies".
Target audience: readers of the quarterly IMS magazine; scientific specialists.
Ideation & Thumbnailing
This issue's theme was "emerging medical technologies". The three main featured articles were about (1) deep-brain stimulation, (2) crispr-cas9 gene editing, and
(3) high-throughput drug screening.
A challenge of this cover design was how to depict highly varied/different topics that encompassed emerging medical technologies. I needed to think of a visual theme that tied these highly diverse topics together. I began by drafting thumbnails of some themes related to emerging:
Some of the pictured concepts (above) included:
1. Emerging plants.
2. Abstract images double-exposed and "emerging" from the profile of a person.
3. Butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.
4. Screens emerging from a tunnel.
5. Images emerging from a crystal ball.
6. Abstract spheres emerging from other spheres.
With feedback from the design team (Julia, Alexander, Mona, and Colleen), I decided on the emerging butterfly metaphor because it best represented the theme of "new & emerging". It also allowed for embedded imagery within the wings and had strong visual interest.
Final comprehensive sketches
I experimented with two main layouts that featured either a single central butterfly emerging from a cocoon, or two butterflies. I decided to pursue the two-butterfly layout because it better distinguished the imagery within the wings, which pertained to the featured topics (deep brains stimulation, crispr-cas9, drug screening). It also had more visual interest and a more recognizable silhouette of a butterfly.
The final 3D cover was created using Autodesk Maya and ZBrush, and composited in photoshop. The final render is shown below:
