ACROSS CANADA:
Interfacing Art and Science

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By Andrea Bielecki

We are a fast-paced, highly visual society. We want our information presented quickly and succinctly. It has been noted that the average attention span today is a fleeting 15 seconds. In fact, somewhere between 65 and 85 per cent of all daily forms of communication are visual — making it by far the most efficient and effective way to aid adult learning.
These are important factors to consider when faced with educating an audience on a highly scientific topic or communicate complicated biological processes or technologies. The more complex or unfamiliar the topic, the more compelling the argument to deploy a communication medium that will not only facilitate the learning process, but also enhance retention.
Today, numerous visual aids are used in the life sciences industry to communicate and educate: graphs, diagrams, photographs, illustrations and PowerPoint® presentations, to name a few. Over the last few years however, exponential advances in technology and a steep decline in price has enabled the mainstream use of a powerful tool: 3-D animation.
Historically, animation was restricted to cartoons and movies. High production costs, heavy computational requirements and a limited supply of skilled professionals made it a time- and cost-intensive process. Now with the availability of mature commercial 3-D software, the speed of today’s workstations, and an explosion in the number of training programs — in particular, the master’s degree in biomedical communications (BMC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) (Toronto, ON) — the art of science has become a vivid reality.
In U of T’s interdisciplinary graduate program in medical illustration, combining the disciplines of art, science, medicine and communication is an academic affair. The prestigious BMC program has roots dating back to the 1940s and integrates design and communication theory with scientific knowledge. Since then it has evolved to inform the production of visual material for health promotion, medical education, and the process of scientific discovery.
In September 1995, with the establishment of a graduate program, the fields of new media design and 3-D animation were introduced into the curriculum. Since then the program has expanded its focus to include 3-D visualization. This growth has allowed students and faculty to participate in cutting-edge research, keeping pace with the rapid developments in science and technology.

Visual Perception and Visual Media
The nature of visual perception and the role of visual media in education has long been an area of interest to researchers, particularly in the domains of cognitive and educational psychology. During the early 1900s, Gestalt theorists were the first to propose a theory describing the language of vision, and their ideas continue to have enduring influence on the design of visual media.
According to Jodie Jenkinson, assistant professor with the BMC program, with more recent scientific and technological advances, we are better equipped to understand the nature of visual perception and the potential of visualization to amplify cognition and clarify complex concepts. It makes sense when you consider that 40 per cent of the cortex is devoted to visual perception. Many studies over the last 30 years have examined the impact of visuals and multimedia on learning and it’s an area of research that continues to gain momentum.
Given the connections between learning patterns and multimedia, it’s not difficult to recognize the opportunities that advanced visual communications technologies such as 3-D visualization and animation represent for life sciences companies.

Putting Technology to Work
While there are still only a handful of companies in North America that specialize in scientific visualization, this niche industry is undergoing tremendous growth in response to the need for scientific visual communications that speak to all levels of their operations. From scientists specializing in drug development, to venture capitalists and shareholders that are investing in R&D, scientifically accurate animation allows overall “big picture” concepts to be understood.
Like any other aspect of investor relations or corporate communications planning, creating a high-quality animation on time and on budget is a matter of collaboration.

1     Before meeting with your animation team, organize and prepare all important references and data sources. These may include journal articles, radiological images, medical device specifications, etc.
2     At your initial meeting, provide a brief detailing the nature and focus of your technology, its mechanism of action and the audience you need to communicate with.
3     Professional medical animators will then undertake additional research to ensure that they have a crystal clear understanding of the product or process to be animated. Expect them to ask for the involvement of an appropriate medical specialist to clarify nuance and validate technical information.
4     Initial concepts will be shown as storyboards, a series of still illustrations that present an overview of the concept and their recommended approach. At this stage, it is important to give clear feedback and approval to proceed.
5     The accuracy of these storyboards is then verified and validated by a medical expert. This approval is critical: it confirms that the animation is an accurate, schematic representation of the scientific process or technology, ensuring it will be a valuable asset to your communication strategy.
6     When developing an animation, remember that your goal is to portray a complex medical or technical situation for a non-expert audience. Keep it to the minimum length necessary to explain the key points, keep the storyline simple and tailor it to the audience’s education and knowledge level.
7     Also bear in mind that a standard mechanism of action animation takes, on average, six to eight weeks to produce once you’ve factored in all the approval processes.

Realizing Results
Investments made in animations can pay off in limitless communications applications. Common applications include investor relations, scientific presentations, CME programs, patient education, advertising and promotion, television news broadcasts, exhibit booth displays, websites — the list goes on. Animations that are created to broadcast quality standards can be reused and repurposed for a number of different applications and reformatted for use with different media.
Medical animation is in the news, it’s on the web and it’s already widely accepted in the life sciences industry. Today’s marketplace demands communication that is fast, visual and stimulating. Animation offers more than an effective means of presenting complex, accurate information quickly; it does so in a memorable fashion, injecting a little “edu-tainment” into the corporate presentation routine.

The Future
Today’s medical animation is the result of traditional medical art and illustration combined with the dramatic advancements in imaging technology. The focus on 3-D imaging in numerous training programs illustrates the field’s limitless potential.
As we move into the 21st century, one fact stands clear: animation is a powerful medium for complex information. Even when the subject is simple, words are imprecise. When the subject is complex, technical information is under examination, or a revolutionary breakthrough drug or process is on the verge of being developed and non-experts must make a judgment, nothing communicates like animation.

Andrea Bielecki is vice-president of business development with InViVo Communications Inc. (Toronto, ON), a leading health-care new media company. Established in 1998, this boutique company develops specialized communication programs and products for many of the leading biotechnology, global pharmaceutical and medical device organizations, and their affiliated advertising and PR agencies. InViVo's core capabilities include producing broadcast quality 3-D medical animation, medical illustration and interactive tools for mediums ranging from the web to the convention floor.