Conceptual Art Direction & Design

Behind the Work

An inside look at the thinking behind selected award-winning conceptual work

target audience  ❘  Retina specialists and other ophthalmologists

When Science Becomes Art...

Paradigm Medical Communication, LLC

CLIENT

format

Interactive Medical Education Web Activity

year

2026

role

Conceptual Art Direction & Design

the brief  ❘  Develop a visual concept to define the creative identity and digital promotion of an interactive, case-based sorting game exploring individualized treatment decisions across diabetic macular edema (DME), neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Clinical imagery was encouraged, creating an opportunity to explore how science and art could be brought together visually.

Concept Exploration

Three distinct creative directions were developed to answer the brief:

Patients Become Patrons  ❘  Four clinical cases are reimagined as patrons in an art gallery, with mature patient silhouettes viewing retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans representing the three disease states as artwork. A gold cell membrane doubles as the gallery’s velvet rope, incorporating Ang-2/Tie2 and VEGF receptor signaling into the scene.

Receptors Become the Exhibit  ❘  A light, modern gallery transforms molecular science and clinical data into museum installations. Two receptors are reimagined as sculptures on platforms: the Ang-2/Tie2 receptor is positioned in front as the newer focus, while the VEGF receptor sits behind as the established foundation of care, reflecting the addition of a newer pathway to an established treatment approach. Supporting artwork includes a painterly retina suggesting active disease, a retinal thickness heatmap indicating disease burden, and a simplified line graph representing monitoring and management over time.

Retinas Become Paint  ❘  selected concept ❘  A painterly approach features an eye on canvas alongside an artist’s palette, with three retinal fundus paint blots representing the disease states explored in the interactive activity: DME, nAMD, and RVO. A paint-filled syringe mirrors the paintbrush, its spray of color referencing the injection-based treatments explored and inviting clinicians to make treatment decisions part of the creative process.

Refining the Details

The selected concept shown above evolved through explorations of the retinal trio and artist’s palette, with colors pulled from the surrounding canvas artwork.

Clinical Fundus

painterly Fundus

organic palette

Paint Treatment

Final refinement

the result  ❘  The selected concept
was developed across the final digital promotion and was recognized with a
2026 GDUSA Health + Wellness Design Award in the Social Media category.