The Power of Custom Scientific Imagery

Tapping the most important visual component of every successful life sciences brand


When you think about the imagery used by most life sciences brands, what comes to mind? What we see are a lot of generic visuals—think microscopic cells, stock lab shots, and smiling models in lab coats—cheap, easy imagery that just blends into the visual noise.

In this article, we’re going to share some insights about what is arguably the most important component of every successful life sciences brand: custom imagery. We’ll explore the various asset types you’ll want to consider, including custom illustrations, animations, photography, and product imagery. We’ll also explore how to use stock imagery effectively when budgets are limited. Finally, we’ll provide practical guidance on budgeting and planning for custom imagery, so that you’re equipped to lead the development of a distinctive visual identity for your brand.

From a brand perspective, stock images are a convenient but largely ineffective solution. That’s because they fail to capture or convey the unique virtues of your business.”

The advantage of custom assets

From a brand perspective, stock images are a convenient but largely ineffective solution. That’s because they fail to capture or convey the unique virtues of your business. Plus, the pool of scientific stock imagery is finite, so it’s not uncommon to see a single image being used as the primary visual on side-by-side tradeshow booths, ads in the same publication, or as the hero image on the homepages of two competing companies.  

Custom visual assets, including original photography and custom illustration, offer several advantages:

  • Distinction: Custom visuals are unique to your business, and ensure your brand looks distinctly different from competitors.
  • Clarity: Tailored visuals convey the complex scientific concepts specific to your business far more accurately and quickly than stock imagery.
  • Consistency: A library of custom assets brings a level of cohesion to all your brand touchpoints that elevates perceptions.
  • Memorability: Custom, owned visuals are far more likely to stick in the minds of your audiences, improving brand recall.

Investing in custom visual assets allows you to build a visual language that speaks directly to your audience and clearly communicates your brand’s unique value proposition.

Custom illustrations and animations

For brands that have a somewhat complex scientific story to tell (in our experience that includes roughly 100% of life sciences brands), custom illustrations and animations are often able to simplify even the most complicated concepts into visuals that are quickly and easily understood.

Collaborating with scientific illustrators
Working with a world-class scientific illustrator can be a game changer. We work with several, and the custom libraries of process illustrations, workflow animations, and cellular/biological visualizations they produce have a catalytic effect on the brands we build. These professionals, with their unique industry expertise, combine scientific accuracy with artistic flair, resulting in visuals that are equally informative and striking.

When budgeting for custom illustrations and animations, plan to allocate between $30,000 to $40,000. This investment covers the creation of a comprehensive illustration package that can include:

  • Process diagrams
  • Molecular and cellular illustrations
  • Animated sequences of biological processes
  • Infographics explaining complex scientific concepts
  • Branded icons and visual elements

The long-term value of these assets cannot be overstated. They form the foundation of your unique visual language, reinforcing your brand’s innovative nature and setting you apart from competitors—most of whom will choose stock imagery and its accompanying obscurity.

We’ve found that custom photography is an especially valuable asset for clients seeking to infuse humanity into their brand—the emotional spark that so many life sciences struggle to capture, despite the life-changing impact of their work.”

Custom photography

While illustrations are excellent for explaining concepts, custom photography brings your brand to life by showcasing your (real) people, culture, and capabilities. We’ve found that custom photography is an especially valuable asset for clients seeking to infuse humanity into their brand—the emotional spark that so many life sciences struggle to capture, despite the life-changing impact of their work. 

Planning your custom photoshoot
When budgeting for a custom photoshoot, consider the following recommendations:

  • Standard photoshoot: $30,000 to $40,000
  • Photoshoot plus video: $50,000 to $60,000

The ranges above typically cover a two-day on-location shoot, the photographer’s fees, art direction, and the location scouting that precedes the shoot. To be successful, the photoshoot must be executed correctly, by creative professionals with extensive industry expertise. This includes a photographer with a deep life sciences portfolio, and an art director that knows your brand strategy.

Most of our clients combine photography and videography so that this investment yields a powerful collection of both photos and videos. Videos can be used extensively across your social channels, website, and brand and product overview videos. While it increases cost, it offers economies of scale and efficiency, particularly when considering the effort required to coordinate and execute a shoot.

Product photography

For life sciences companies that sell physical equipment, specialized product photography is essential. When carefully planned and executed, these technical shots can showcase your product in a way that elevates credibility and screams innovation. These shoots can also be hybrid in nature—capturing both still photographs and video of your product in action.

Budgeting for product photography
When planning a technical product shoot, budget approximately $12,000 to $15,000 per day. This typically allows for photographing 1-3 products, depending on the complexity and number of shots required for each item.

Several factors can influence the cost and duration of a product shoot:

  • Special Techniques: High-speed photography, macro shots, or 360-degree product views may increase costs.
  • Equipment Handling: Costs for shipping, receiving, and handling specialized equipment must be considered.
  • Models or Demonstrators: If human subjects are needed to demonstrate equipment, this adds to the overall expense.
  • Studio Setup: Proper lighting and staging are crucial for showcasing (and even glorifying) your product.

High-quality product photography can significantly enhance your brand’s perceived value and technical credibility.

Stock imagery: the last resort

While custom assets are always preferred, budget and time constraints sometimes necessitate the use of stock imagery. With careful selection and editing, stock images can still contribute to a unique and consistent brand identity.

Making the most of stock imagery
When working with stock imagery, consider budgeting $15,000 to $25,000. This allocation covers not only the purchase of royalty-free stock images but also the crucial editing work required to create a cohesive look.

Here’s how to effectively use stock imagery while maintaining brand consistency:

  • Selection: Choose images that align closely with your brand aesthetic and messaging.
  • Editing: Develop a unique visual style that can be universally applied across all stock images, making them feel distinct and recognizable. Note that this task requires advanced Photoshop skills and should be performed by your agency partner or another trusted creative resource.
  • Customization: Overlay branded graphics or text to make stock images more unique to your brand.
  • Hybrid: If possible, combine stock images with custom assets for a more distinctive overall look.

Through thoughtful selection and editing, stock imagery can support a cohesive visual identity.

Just knowing that custom imagery is on the table will change the creative trajectory of a project and open doors for more innovative explorations.”

Start planning now

The decision to incorporate custom visuals into your branding effort should be made early in the process. Just knowing that custom imagery is on the table will change the creative trajectory of a project and open doors for more innovative explorations. Planning early in the process can also avoid delays and ensure a smoother journey overall. There are two major considerations to plan for:

Timeline considerations
Unfortunately, great custom imagery doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a series of carefully planned and executed steps. When building out the schedule, keep the following milestones in mind:

  • Conceptualization and approval of visual direction (up to 12 weeks)
  • Selection and briefing of illustrators, photographers, or videographers (up to 2 weeks)
  • Location scouting and shoot scheduling (up to 3 weeks)
  • Photoshoot and post-production; Creation of initial illustrations (up to 6 weeks)
  • Review and revision cycles (up to 6 weeks)
  • Final production and integration into brand materials (varies depending on scope)

As you can see, custom asset creation can add several weeks or even months to your timeline. Factor this into your overall branding schedule to avoid rushed decisions or cut corners.

Budgeting strategies
Depending on the stage of your business, and leadership’s understanding of branding, securing budget approval for custom assets may be a challenge. Consider the following strategies:

  • Emphasize long-term value: Custom assets can be used across multiple campaigns and materials, providing an ongoing return on investment. If unlimited rights are secured (and they usually are) these assets become your property, to use for as long as you wish.
  • Highlight differentiation: Stress the importance of standing out in a crowded market, as well as the significant competitive advantage, credibility, and brand recognition that all come from having a distinct, memorable visual system.
  • Prioritize assets: If the budget is limited, focus on the most impactful assets first, such as key illustrations or hero photography.
  • Tackle in phases: Consider creating custom assets in stages over time to spread the cost.

Clearly communicating the value and impact of custom assets can make a strong case for their inclusion in your branding budget.

The bottom line

Creating a breakthrough brand identity requires more than just a slick logo and bold color palette. Custom visual assets—whether illustrations, photography, or product images—are major components of every recognizable life sciences brand for good reason: they express a brand’s unique vision and values with greater impact than any other brand tool or tactic.

As you embark on your branding journey, consider carefully the outsized impact that custom imagery can have not only on your brand’s strength, but also on the performance of your marketing and communication efforts, and your bottom line.


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