Working with me
why and how
Why visual science communication?
(Psychological) science often stays trapped behind paywalls, written in unaccessible academic English, so much so that it rarely reaches either the general public or practicing professionals. This issue leads to various issues, such as "kitchen-table psychology", where everyone has an opinion on mental health, yet none are reliably grounded in research. Moreover, psychological practitioners struggle to stay in a consistent dialogue with psychological science (a phenomenon referred to as the science-practitioner gap, Drabick & Goldfried, 2000, Schwarzbach et al., 2025), let alone communicating the science behind their practice to their clients.
Asked about potential solutions to bridging such gaps, practitioners also mention visual aids, such as inforgraphics or visual summaries (Schwarzbach et al, under review). Visuals are easier to remember and faster to process compared to words (as stated according to the picture-superiority effect, e.g. Defeyter et al., 2009, see also this infographic). So: visual science communication isn't just a nice idea - it's a powerful solution. Infographics, story telling, and figures can help translate science for the general public and clients more effectively, making psychological ideas accessible, engaging, and lasting.
Why collaborate?
I follow a collaborative approach in my work, involving you as much as possible in the conception and finalisation of your product. I work in different phases, which can vary depending on your preferences or the project's specific circumstances. Usually, I follow the following steps:
1
Concept phase
Clarification of the brief, discussing the content to be conveyed
Research into relevant literature
Development of a draft
2
Design phase
Agreeing on the way forward based on the first draft
Adjusting the design
3
Proofing phase
Delivering the final draft
Revision stages based on your feedback
4
Finalising phase
Sending final product & separate pieces to be reused
Why not simply AI?
We live in the time of AI, and I'm very much aware of that. AI promises quick, free fixes to complex questions. Still, there are good reasons to work with a human for your science visuals.
Scientific Accuracy
AI often creates wrong images, such as the wrong number of bones. As a scientist, I verify against literature and your own research to communicate your findings as accurately as possible.
Rights, Licensing & Publishing
AI feeds on the work of artsits who never consented to it — and journals increasingly flag AI use over these copyright ambiguities. Working with a human means rights and licenses you can actually discuss and rely on.
Interpretation Instead of Imitation
AI remixes patterns; it will never understand your science. Because I'm familiar with the research process, I can offer my own insight into what to emphasise, simplify, or omit.
Visual Language
AI can do a lot visually, but even then you can often recognise it by its sloppiness. It lacks soul and visual consistency across images.
An example: A client used AI to create a cover for his PhD dissertation. After working with me, we changed the visual language to something more tangible and less plastic, and added personal elements — the seals wearing VR glasses emerged from our brainstorming session, as he works with VR and moved to Groningen (close to the sea[ls]) for his PhD. His cover came to life and reflected his personal story.
original AI idea
final cover
