HEALTHY EATING AND MALNUTRITION
Translating complex science into an accessible scroll-driven narrative, coordinating content, visuals, and accessibility constraints
Challenge
People often find the science of disordered eating confusing or too clinical to relate to. Breaking down complex biology into clear language and approachable visuals while staying accessible helps make the topic understandable.
My team created scroll-driven digital narrative through Shorthand that translates the impact of disordered eating on the body into visuals, testimonies, and accessible language.
My Role
Alongside Malavika Ketan Doshi and Revati Naniwadekar, I conducted literature reviews in order to craft an accessible script that also ensures scientific accuracy. I continued moving this project forward through creating visuals within Shorthand, co-designing with Kimberly Blacutt and Sage Rohrbach. Special thanks to Stacie Rohrbach, my mentor throughout the project.
PROBLEM SPACE
Understanding the science behind disordered eating can be challenging
Through our research, we found that the science behind disordered eating can feel confusing and inaccessible. This revealed an opportunity to create an experience that makes complex biology intuitive and relatable.
DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
Navigating constraints in accessibility, visual communication, and technical limits
Designing for a sensitive health topic required careful attention. Each design decision was shaped by key constraints: making complex language more accessible, avoiding overly clinical visual styles, and working within the technical limitations of the Shorthand platform.
With this, we asked:
How might we design an informative and relatable experience about disordered eating, while navigating clinical language, visual complexity, and platform restrictions?
Accessibility in Language
Malnutrition involves scientific concepts and medical terminology that can confuse readers. One major challenge was translating these into language clear enough for a general audience, yet still accurate.
Accessibility in Visual Style
Traditional health materials often rely on textbook-style diagrams and clinical visuals. We developed a visual style with abstract icons that metaphorically describe each system’s function and impact, paired with a color palette to guide users through the narrative.
Shorthand Constraints
Animation was limited to simple reveal effects, and responsive layout constraints required careful attention to grids, hierarchy, and element placement to maintain consistency across devices.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Connecting biological and metabolic systems with personal testimonies in one narrative experience
We organized the content into clear sections such as hormones and growth, digestion, and temperature-hydration regulation. Real testimonials added human perspective, while visual storytelling and scroll-based interactions created an engaging, intuitive experience.
Reflections
Let Constraints Guide You
One of the biggest challenges in this project was translating complex biological processes and terminology, things that felt natural to me, into visuals that others could easily understand. What helped was thinking within the constraints of scrollytelling: focusing on animation flow, visual hierarchy, and how each element would guide the reader. Fine-tuning the script early on and testing it with individuals was also key. Getting feedback helped us see where the content was still too dense and where we needed to simplify further.
Connecting My Science Background
My own experience with the sciences helped me break down complex information into bite chunks. Years of watching Crash Course videos and hours in the lab helped make this project fruitful.