A while back, Michele Banks and I were approached to create a new logo for microbe.tv. The podcast network is home to a range of science programs, but the bulk of the shows are about microbiology, a topic near and dear to both our #SciArt hearts.
We decided right away that wanted to retain as much of the feel of Michele’s distinctive watercolour style as possible while making the logo look clean at any scale. Michele started by painting a variety of shapes in miniature, all inspired by bacteria, viruses, and biofilms.





I created vector designs based on her paintings, added text, and played with arrangements. There were a lot of false starts, but we had a great deal of fun. It’s always a joy to work with someone with whom you share both artistic sensibilities and a love of snark.




In the end, the winning design was this one, which represents a typical plaque assay: