Paul Terasaki pioneered organ transplant medicine. He invented a test that predicted the compatibility of a donor with a recipient. The microcytotoxicity test, a tissue-typing test for organ transplant donors and recipients identifies human leukocyte antigens (HLA). The test is now the international standard for tissue typing.
Gathering The Facts
We used a scrapbook of photos and documents to gather data on Paul Terasaki's life events. Then we organized organized them into a table, tying each event to a visual using icons.
Drawing The Face
No biography is complete without the face of the person who lived it. Since people change over time, especially if they live a long life like Dr. Terasaki, the artistic challenge then becomes capturing the essence of the person through their whole life, not just at a particular age.
The full process of drawing face is explained here in details.
Rendering
We used our custom software Adioma to layout a shortlist of facts into the timeline with icons.
Making a Timeless Gift
Everyone's life is unique. There will never be another Paul Terasaki. We wanted to make sure that people who benefited from his work knew his story. We made this graphic of his life into a gift wrapped into an origami envelope, honoring Dr. Terasaki's Japanese heritage.
