Hans Clevers
Visualising a shift in stem cell biology
The architecture of intestinal life
How do you give a paradigm-shifting publication the kind of visual presence that draws people in without flattening the science? Together with Hans Clevers – former Head of pRED at Roche and distinguished group leader at the Hubrecht Institute – we translated a new Cell publication on intestinal stem cell biology into a refined suite of cell renders, animated loops, and schematic figures. The result is a body of work that helps readers grasp not only individual cell types, but the wider logic of the intestinal epithelium.
Challenge
Clevers’ publication brings together multiple specialised intestinal cell types, their roles, their interrelationships, and a broader shift in how stem cell biology is understood. The communication challenge was to retain scientific precision while introducing enough clarity, atmosphere, and visual coherence for the work to resonate beyond a narrow specialist audience.
Sensu's approach
We developed eight detailed cell visualisations, each paired with a looping 3D animation, alongside figure designs that clarified morphology, hierarchy, and signalling across the intestinal epithelium. The stills gave each cell type a distinct identity, the loops added depth and presence, and the figures connected individual forms to the publication’s larger scientific argument. Complementary cover designs extended that same visual language, helping elevate the research as a whole.
This project involved the following service pillars:
Content
Branding
Presentation
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Designed to hold complexity
Scientific imagery often has to choose between accuracy and allure. Here, we set out to hold both. A palette of pinks, purples, blues, and green accents, combined with translucent, textured surfaces, gave the cells a glassy, fluid presence – expressive enough to spark curiosity, disciplined enough to remain credible.
Ready for the next conversation
The animated loops added more than movement. They created assets that can live comfortably in presentations, lectures, discussions, and future communication around the research. In that sense, the project was not just about accompanying a publication, but about giving it a visual language capable of travelling further.
A hierarchy made legible
This publication is not only about stem cells in isolation. It maps a full cast of specialised intestinal cells – from absorptive enterocytes and mucus-producing goblet cells to immune-facing M cells and tuft cells with their emerging regenerative relevance. By giving these cells recognisable form, we helped transform an intricate hierarchy into something readers can scan, compare, and retain.
Outcome
The result is a coherent body of scientific imagery that gives Clevers’ publication greater clarity, memorability, and presence. By making the intestinal cell hierarchy easier to see and easier to discuss, Sensu helped complex biology reach beyond the page without surrendering its precision. For organisations working at the frontier of science, that balance is often exactly what effective communication demands.
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