Design and illustration for biomedical sciences

Science. Art. Storytelling.

Making the microscopic visible

Vivid Biology is a UK design studio that specialises in creating illustration and graphic design for biomedical research

Working across the biomedical spectrum

We work with Biotech, Communications, Publishing, Universities and researchers to create engaging science visuals and sophisticated technical diagrams.

Artistic licence NOT artistic laziness

We like a challenge. We believe it’s possible to make great visuals whilst still getting the science right.

The case for great visuals

Why you might need us

Communicating with other scientists

Science is often difficult to communicate with words alone. Unfamiliar jargon can alienate people outside your field, but paraphrasing everything via everyday examples can be confusing and imprecise. A diagram gives you a discussion point to find common ground.

Communicating with non-scientists

Not everyone has an hour to sit down and debate the finer details of a technical process. Time-pressed grant funders and investors appreciate quick summaries and figures that help them understand the important bits quickly.

Communicating with new audiences

Everyone can appreciate the aesthetics of a good visual. Whereas unfamiliar words or sludgy prose can be alienating, pictures draw people in and provide a good starting point to ask questions, explain processes and tell stories.

Who we've worked with

Here are some of the companies, institutes and researchers we've worked with

Companies

  • Canopy Biosciences
  • Oxford University Press
  • eLife
  • Oxford Pharmagenesis
  • The Lancet
  • Mendeley
  • Healx
  • Wordbird
  • Hindawi
  • Learning Science
  • Equinox Graphics

Institutes

  • The Gurdon Institute
  • The Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
  • The Francis Crick Institute
  • The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine
  • The Nuffield Council on Bioethics
  • Bristol BioDesign Institute
  • Bristol Population Health Science Institute
  • Occidental College
  • Vanderbilt University

Researchers from

  • University of Cambridge
  • University of Bristol
  • University of Oxford
  • Karolinska Institute
  • University of Aalto
  • MIT
  • Wellcome Sanger Institute
  • Kings College London

Free

Design

Advice

Creative Illustration

We create distinctive artwork that makes your science stand out

Technical Diagrams

We generate unique technical illustrations that clearly communicate how things work

Product Design

We design artworks, clothing, gifts and homeware

People

Claudia Stocker

Director

Claudia has been working in Science Illustration since she graduated in 2012.

She set up Vivid Biology in 2015 when moving to Bristol from London.

University of the West of England (2018-)

MSc Science Communication

Entrepreneurial Spark Bristol (2016)

Startup accelerator programme

Royal Drawing School (2014-2015)

Drawing intensive (6 month scholarship

University of Cambridge (2008-2012)
MSci Natural Sciences (Systems Biology)
BA Natural Sciences (Neuroscience)
Join us at Vivid Biology

Learn more about creating scientific Illustrations

PhD Industry Placements (PIPs)

We have hosted three PhD students on their three month industrial placements (also known as PIPs). Their backgrounds varied between Neuroscience, Physics and Synthetic Biology.

We co-create placements with students to find something that is interesting to them and useful to us. Previous students have curated SciArt exhibitions, created award-winning animations, and build graphics toolkits to help researchers make better figures.

Work experience

We can offer one- or two- week work experience at the office during the summer holidays, or another vacation time. This is an unpaid voluntary position designed to help you get a feel for how science illustration works, borrow from our library, try out some software, and make some cool art for your portfolio.

Term-time internships

Studying science in London and looking for some creative work related to your field? We offer part-time internships of 4-8 hours a week for the academic year. This includes administrative support, helping us run our online store, and sometimes a bit of packing boxes. Internships are paid.

Summer internships

We offer 4-8 week placements for undergraduate and recent-graduate science students over the summer vacations. These are offered on a case-by-case basis.

Except in exceptional circumstances, we are only able to offer these internships with the help of university SME internship grants, such as the Santander SME internship scheme. We are happy to help you find and apply for these grants.

Students are trained in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and WordPress. Internships have involved launching Kickstarter campaigns, creating infographics, writing captions for images and creating education resources.

We have hosted four undergraduate summer interns since 2016. Internships have ranged from 2 to 8 weeks in duration and students were all studying biological sciences. Design training for science students was made possible thanks to internship grants from the University of the West of England and the University of Bristol.

Contact Us

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Address

Vivid Biology

First Floor

41 Whitcomb Street

London WC2H 7DT