Featured case

Cover proposal for Nature Microbiology

““I remember in our first meeting I told Susanne: ‘I have a picture in my head but I can’t get it out.’ The final result is even better than what I imagined and will get a spot in a frame on the wall of my office!””
— Nick Wierckx, Professor at Forschungszentrum Jülich

Client

Nick Wierckxr, Professor at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.

Kenneth Jensen, PhD, Senior Department Manager at Novonesis, Denmark.

Logo of Jülich Research Center.
Novonesis logo

What it was all about

Professor Wierckx and his research group had a paper accepted in Nature Microbiology and were invited to submit a cover proposal.

Their study focused on engineering the bacterium P. putida to metabolize nylon - an innovation with potential to improve recycling by turning nylon waste into feedstock for biotechnological processes.

Wierckxr envisioned a cover illustration showing a degrading nylon fishing net being taken up by a bacterium and entering its metabolic network. This concept cleverly plays on the visual similarity between fishing nets and classical representations of metabolic pathways.

A mood board showing the evolution of a fishing net to a metabolic pathway diagram, including images of nets, plastic bottles, and conceptual illustrations of bacterial cells and molecular structures, with keywords related to nylon, degradation, bacterial metabolism, and chemical pathways.

Client’s representation of the concept and idea.

Solution

In close collaboration with the client, I created a 3D illustration which captures the concept in a visually enticing way suitable for a high-profile journal cover.

The proposal received very positive feedback from the journal editors, but unfortunately they picked a different cover in the end.

Even so, the client was delighted by the result and was able to use it in their own promotional material and media outreach.

A short video giving an overview of the creative process.

Process

  • 1. Thumbnails

    I drew five small, quick sketches to test out different compositions.

    I included a mockup of the journal title to make sure that the cover layout would be an integral part of the composition from the beginning.

    Five thumbnail sketches showing a bacterium metabolizing a fishing net. The sketches depict different compositions of the same idea.

  • 2. Moodboard

    I put together a collection of inspirational images to represent different visual styles and colour schemes.

    A moodboard collage of various images related to microbiology, including microscopic views of microorganisms, scientific diagrams, and abstract visuals of water and microbial structures.

  • 3. Decision time

    Based on the thumbnails and moodboard, the client decided on a composition and visual direction.

    In terms of medium, we agreed that a 3D render was the way to go in order to achieve the look and level of detail envisioned.

    A moodboard collage of various images related to microbiology, including microscopic views of microorganisms, scientific diagrams, and abstract visuals of water and microbial structures., with a red scribble highlighting a section of the collage.

  • 4. Detailed sketches

    Before beginning 3D production, I created detailed sketches to ensure that the client and I agreed on the content, colors, and composition.

    The client selected the light color scheme without the larger ropes in the foreground.

    Four detailed sketches of a cover proposal for Nature Microbiology.

  • 5. Early production

    I started building the 3D scene, populating it with objects and lights. I also started putting everything together in Photoshop to add color adjustments, background, and other effects.

    I sent the client an early preview, allowing us to make adjustments before the final detailed work began.

    3D illustration work-in-progress of a bacterium metabolizing a nylon fishing net.

  • 6. Final image

    The final cover proposal.

    The entire process from initial meeting to final delivery was just over 2 weeks.

    A digital illustration of a bacterium metabolizing a nylon fishing net, created as a cover proposal for the journal 'Nature Microbiology'.

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