Our Mission
The first research-focused scientific illustration company in Canada!
We elevate research from scientists and communicators through the research, creation, and promotion of accurate, engaging, and accessible scientific illustrations. We empower the scientific community by providing resources and tools to confidently compose effective scientific illustrations.
Our Story
While completing her Master of Science in Biochemistry & Cell Biology at Queen’s University, Sarah saw her peers and colleagues struggling to effectively communicate their research with others. She watched professors spend hours trying to create an accurate and engaging illustration of their research, and knew that she could help!
Sarah saw an opportunity to fill this gap by fusing her strong passion for science research with her expertise in graphic design and in 2017, Designs that Cell was born! Sarah’s vision for the company was a space where “scien-artists” such as herself and others could combine their science skills with their artistic prowess to illustrate the ideas of the scientific community.
Despite founding Designs that Cell in graduate school with limited business experience, Sarah dove headfirst into the company. As the company grew and client requests took off, Sarah realized that she couldn’t do it alone (can anyone?). She wanted to empower other graduate students in STEM by giving them opportunities to use their creative skills to help communicate science visually. In 2018, Natasha, Naomi, and Mina joined Designs that Cell to illustrate projects and help spread the word through social media!
We've grown to be a team of creative students and recent graduates who hold advanced degrees and have experience in graphic design and science communication. We have designed illustrations for over 40 scientific publications, a handful of books, and numerous grant figures and have consulted for a variety of non-profit and private companies. We’ve also started conducting our own research on how to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences.