When it comes to explaining complex science, a great visual can say it all—and Erin Lemieux is the person behind many of those visuals at The Scientist. As the publication’s art director and production manager, she transforms editors’ and clients’ visions into engaging visual content, bringing ideas to life across multiple platforms. With a background in graphic design, Erin built her career in combining text and imagery from science-heavy concepts to more lighthearted stories about scientists. Today, her work spans a wide range of projects: designing posters and custom headers for TS Digest, crafting page layouts for the quarterly magazine, and developing visual assets across digital and marketing platforms.
Q | How did you become interested in graphic design?
As a kid, I had always been interested in art. In high school, I took every art class I could and assumed I’d eventually go to art school. But a conversation with my art teacher shifted my perspective—she explained that art and design are two distinct paths.
She framed the difference for me as, “Do you want to create for yourself, or do you like the idea of taking a vision from someone else and helping them bring it to life?” I realized it was the latter. My first real experience with digital design came when I worked on my grade 12 yearbook—I organized submitted articles and images into a cohesive layout. I was already drawn to combining text and imagery, so I really enjoyed figuring out the design process.
In my final semester at the Ontario College of Art & Design University for graphic design there was an editorial course, and I didn't know I was going to love it as much as I did. So that's kind of I guess specifically what got me interested more in the page layout aspect and text with imagery.
Prior to joining The Scientist in 2012, I worked on different page layouts for projects like annual reports and textbooks. Transitioning to life science content was definitely intimidating, as I had never fully immersed myself in science during my school years; however, I dove right into designing visuals, incorporating creativity and being mindful of maintaining scientific accuracy, for a wide range of fascinating topics at The Scientist.
Erin, her partner, and her daughter on a summer trip in Grande Cache, Canada.
Q | What projects do you work on as The Scientist’s art director?
My day-to-day is very collaborative and involves a wide mix of projects from The Scientist’s editorial team, the Creative Services Division (CSD), and the sales team. I work on everything from eBooks and posters to annual sell sheets and media kits, which are often large, detailed projects.
On the editorial side, I contribute to the visual direction of digital and print stories. For example, when designing online headers for TS Digest’s Epic Fail series, I’m not drawing the image, but I design one based on a reference. This includes elements like laboratory instruments or character concepts, making them resemble the person the story is about. Then, I develop visuals that capture the essence of the story.
In addition, with this year marking The Scientist’s 40th anniversary, I’ve also spent time revisiting past milestone issues, such as the 25th and 30th, to draw visual inspirations from them for current designs. I especially enjoy logo design: it is something I’ve always gravitated toward.
I really value working on print layouts. A part of me is sad to see that print is dwindling across the globe, because there is just something about physical media and layout.
—Erin Lemieux, The Scientist
At the same time, I really value working on print layouts. A part of me is sad to see that print is dwindling across the globe, because there is just something about physical media and layout. Again, it goes back to how I love working with text. Page layout involves quite a bit of finessing, such as adjusting typography, ensuring clean line breaks, and thoughtfully incorporating elements like pull quotes, bold headers, and infographics. I like the mix of all that within one type of media.
Erin’s dog Winston loves to tag along camping trips.
Q | What is your favorite part of being a graphic designer in life sciences?
Every project feels like solving a puzzle. Sometimes, I’m working with written ideas or piecing together someone’s doodles, and the challenge is figuring out how to translate these scientific concepts into something visually clear and engaging. Each project that I work on is different, so the process involves back-and-forth conversations to make sure I fully understand what scientific concept is being communicated and how to best represent it visually.
I spend time researching references, exploring color palettes, and looking for ways to bring different elements together into something cohesive. I often draw inspiration from online sources for image representation. Plus, at the main office, there are shelves of past print issues that I’ll flip through to see how earlier infographics and layouts were approached.
It’s especially rewarding to see a project come together starting from its initial conception, putting my own spin on the design, iterating through revisions and feedback, to finalizing the piece. One project that stands out for me is from March 2024. I had fun working on the feature artwork, including the opener image, infographic, and cover, for Hannah Thomasy’s feature on how studying bats and their immune system can be useful for humans.
Q | What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a massive true crime fan. I’ve seen just about every new documentary there is. I also love watching Dateline. It's like a puzzle: you're piecing it together as you're going and then at the end, you're figuring it out. That aspect really draws me in.
When summer rolls around, I enjoy camping with my partner and daughter. We have a trailer, and our nine-year-old dog, Winston, always comes along for the adventure.
