Heritage and Health is an educational presentation developed for Sanofi Genzyme, designed to help individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent understand their heightened risk of certain inherited conditions, most notably Gaucher disease type 1. Rather than leading with clinical information alone, the piece weaves together genetic science and cultural heritage, making a complex medical topic feel personally relevant to its audience.
Role
Lead designer
Scope
Presentation design
Illustration
Sanofi Genzyme 2020
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The core challenge was handling a sensitive subject with both respect and clarity, explaining an inherited condition tied to a specific cultural community, while staying true to Sanofi Genzyme's brand identity. Alongside the layout and information design, I developed a bespoke illustration style for the presentation: one that could make the subject feel approachable without diminishing its weight.
Solution
I built a flexible set of shape-based layout templates and developed a comic-inflected illustration style centred on warmth and family, shifting the emotional focus away from the condition itself and toward the people living with it. Complex medical diagrams and data-heavy slides were crafted in the same visual language, so the tone stayed consistent throughout. The structure was also deliberately paced, alternating between denser informational slides and more illustrative, lighter ones, to keep the material engaging without feeling overwhelming.
Outcome
The presentation was well received for bringing warmth and personality to what could easily have been a heavy subject. The illustration style proved versatile enough to extend across other Sanofi Genzyme presentations, and the project has since been cited as a strong example of culturally sensitive design in healthcare communication.
