September 6, 2012

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The Evolution of a Scientific American Information Graphic: Gamma-Ray Flashes

On occasion, concept sketch submissions make me swoon. Most often, the happy-making sketch comes from a freelance illustrator that has been commissioned to flesh out a specific information graphic for us.

By Jen Christiansen

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

On occasion, concept sketch submissions make me swoon. Most often, the happy-making sketch comes from a freelance illustrator that has been commissioned to flesh out a specific information graphic for us. But every once in awhile, an unexpected gem arrives directly from an author.

Scientific American’s expert authors are generally great at providing reference material for illustrations in the form of previously published journal article figures and PowerPoint lecture slides. And many authors go the extra mile and take pen to paper to help answer specific questions from our editorial team with annotated cartoons. Packed with handy–and critical–information, the source material is gratefully accepted, digested, and used. But it rarely makes me grin.

A few months ago, a sketch from author Joseph Dwyer made me grin (below). The information was clearly visualized, which certainly made my job easier. But the careful details and style in which the cartoon was executed…well, that just made me very happy.

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Dwyer gamma-ray sketchAuthor Joseph Dwyer's concept sketch

Illustrator Brian Despain painted the final version for the August 2012 print issue (“Deadly Rays from Clouds” by By Joseph R. Dwyer and David M. Smith), and I animated it for our iPad edition. Very different in tone from the original sketch, but definitely inspired by it in content and care.

Dwyer final illustrationBrian Despain's final illustration
Dwyer animationAnimated version for iPad

 

Jen Christiansen is an information designer, visual science communicator and author of the book Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations. She began her publishing career in New York City at Scientific American, moved to Washington, D.C., to join the art department of National Geographic, spent four years as a freelance science communicator and then returned to Scientific American for a second stint, during which she became the magazine’s first graphics-specific art director. In that role, she established a consistent data visualization and diagram philosophy across all articles. She writes and presents on topics ranging from reconciling her love for art and science to her quest to learn more about the pulsar chart on Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album cover. Her work can be viewed at www.jenchristiansen.com

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