My favorite graphic

I love the opportunity to tell a story with graphics – sometimes drawn on the spot in real-time during a meeting, and in other instances, in my studio with more time to think about how to portray the idea. Recently a client asked me for an illustration to use on her telehealth website.  She asked me to draw a patient in his bed wearing a ring on his finger to indicate his health was being monitored to a computer.

First attempt:

Her feedback was that this graphic was bleak compared to images that I have drawn for her in the past. It wasn’t clear that the computer was in a remote location. It should not be in the same room as the patient. And the man appeared to be dead. Ouch! (note to self: try not to look dead when I sleep)

Second attempt:

To add some life, I revamped the drawing to wake the guy up and have him watching TV in his reclining chair (I almost drew a cat sitting on his belly). I added the window to indicate that his monitoring ring sent information to another location. Apparently, I now overcomplicated the original concept….

Third time is the charm (for me):

I learned a great lesson after the time spent on this project. The phrase “less is more” rings true. This is my new favorite graphic. It will be a reminder to ask the client to focus on their story’s message and intention, and for myself to not over complicate the idea.

Footnote – back to the drawing board:

My client decided the man in bed didn’t look so dead. She wanted bed guy by the window, computer in the distance with a clinician looking at the monitor. So much for simplicity!