Overview/Challenge

When people don’t understand an issue, it becomes background noise — and they’re not empowered to act.

Professor Evan Fraser at the University of Guelph set out to change that, leading a global initiative to educate the world about food security for a world population approaching 9 billion. 

Traditional communication methods like academic publications weren’t reaching broad audiences or sparking real engagement.

We needed a way to make complex research clear, relatable, and shareable, turning information into inspiration.

My Role

As an illustrator and visual storyteller, I collaborated with Professor Fraser and his team to transform scientific research into accessible visual narratives in the form of explainer videos and a graphic novel.

I led concept development, storyboarding, and illustration direction, ensuring that every frame clarified ideas and invited curiosity.

Process

We designed a series of twelve 5-minute whiteboard-style explainer videos to make complex global food systems tangible and memorable.

Each video broke down research into concise story arcs, using hand-drawn visuals, metaphor, and humor to sustain attention and retention.

Building on the videos’ success, we created a graphic novel adaptation, combining comics, storytelling, and infographics to extend the learning experience into classrooms and online environments.

Throughout the project, I worked closely with the client’s academic team to refine scripts, visual metaphors, and tone, ensuring scientific accuracy while keeping the material emotionally engaging and easy to follow.