2020 Online Salon
Human Fetal Development Images for Patient Smartphone App Research
Project Details
- Entrant Name: Peg Gerrity
- Membership Type: Professional Submission
- Address: Jonestown, Texas USA
- Client: Carnegie Mellon University
- Copyright: 2019 Peg Gerrity
- Medium/software used: Traditional Hand Rendering and Photoshop
- Final presentation format: Smartphone App Pilot Test for Patient Education
- Primary Audience: Expectant Parents Included in a Non-profit Research Study
Project Description
These are 9 of 120 pregnancy illustrations I created for an app research prototype. The goal is to decrease preterm birth risk among low-income and high-risk pregnant women, and to promote increased representation for women of color in patient education resources. Subjects were given smartphones with a weekly app featuring moms/babies in 3 skin tones. When given the resource, subjects overwhelmingly chose the version that aligned most with their racial presentation. The challenge was to show the embryo and placental structures in true anatomical form, but utilize a soft, subtle presentation so as not to intimidate the expectant parents. Fetal color differentiation was tricky, as the skin is translucent early on, and the skin pigment cells won’t become active until ~week 26. A baby may not settle into their full complexion until months or even years after birth, highlighting the importance of incorporating the unique emerging facial features and hair texture within each available set.
