The final design is almost complete! Our group met up on Saturday to complete the information graphic itself and work on the artist statement describing what the graphic means, what it is meant to do, and how it is meant to do that.
EDIT: The final information graphic was originally due on 11/20/2017, however, the entire class has been given an extension to 11/27/2017.
The purpose of this information graphic is to show life science students at WPI how bioinformatics and software impact biology in order to persuade them to take the CS1104 and BCB100X courses. To accomplish this, we made the central focus of the graphic a DNA helix, a choice which served both symbolic and logical purposes. DNA symbolizes biology through its fundamental association with the life sciences. Its structure consists of two intertwined strands connected by base pairs; one strand has a teal color representative of science and biology, while the other has a pixelated, digital motif which evokes the notion of computer science. These connotations, combined with the linked nature of DNA, convey the idea that computer science and biology are fundamentally intertwined. The base pairs connecting the two strands further imply a strong link between the disciplines, while providing statistics to enhance the message. The statistics point to the lack of interest in bioinformatics within the life sciences, and the financial benefits to pursuing it as a career. In addition to this data, each of the three lower icons show concrete examples of problems in biology that computer science can solve, thus providing a logical basis for taking a computer science and bioinformatics course. The entire diagram has been tilted to help guide the eye naturally along the DNA, and icons have been positioned around the molecule to provide peripheral information to the viewer as they read the headline.
I have included a gallery of the progression of our drafts:
