Mass General Brigham inclusive illustrations
Agency: Lippincott
Role: Senior Designer
Creative direction: Bogdan Gaena
Case study
Creating illustrations that reflect the full spectrum of human experience, fostering inclusivity and adaptability to connect with diverse audiences on a personal level.
Healthcare is a deeply personal and universal experience, affecting people of all backgrounds, ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities. Accurate, inclusive illustrations ensure that individuals from diverse communities feel seen, understood, and represented, which can foster trust and improve health outcomes. Just as illustration gives a company its “face,” it also plays a vital role in shaping the public's perception of healthcare institutions. This visual identity carries weight, especially in medicine, where trust, clarity, and relatability are crucial. That’s why there was a growing mission to elevate illustration within Mass General Brigham brand systems, ensuring it was not just aesthetically aligned but also socially and culturally responsible.
When we first rolled out the Mass General Brigham design system, we intentionally kept the illustration style structured: flat, crisp, and easy to read. It was the right fit for those early stages. But as the use cases expanded, so did the need to evolve the system. We saw an opportunity to introduce a broader range of characters and real-life scenarios to better reflect the diverse world we were designing for.
Legacy illustration
Initial illustration approach: flat, crisp, easy to read.
Investigating the representation gap
The first step was to dig into the existing illustration work and see how diversity was addressed. Much of what we found relied on generic stock illustrations, which often lacked meaningful representation.
Mass General Brigham staff and stakeholders pointed out the underrepresentation of different races, body types, and cultural contexts, and we quickly realized that the visual style implied whiteness as the default. This approach didn’t reflect Mass General Brigham’s commitment to inclusivity or the rich diversity of its community. Our illustrations needed to reflect that reality authentically and thoughtfully.
Representation is never one-size-fits-all
Before (left) and after (right) representations of a doctor
The refreshed illustration style is built around three core principles: human, simple, and active. To make the visuals feel more relatable and authentic, we preserved the simplicity of our line-drawing approach while introducing color fills and thoughtful details—like varied hairstyles, accessories, and facial features. These updates add personality and inclusivity while maintaining a minimal, lightweight aesthetic.
Grounded in real-life experiences, the illustrations are designed to connect with viewers by highlighting everyday moments, always with a focus on the patient. Thoughtful use of white space ensures the visuals support the content rather than compete with it.
Creating illustrations for such a diverse audience of patients, providers, and staff made it especially meaningful to design a system that feels inclusive and representative.
To ensure we continued addressing diversity in all its breadth, we maintained ongoing partnerships with stakeholders across the organization, including accessibility experts and employee resource groups. These collaborations help us understand the nuances of representation—like how to thoughtfully depict prosthetics, invisible disabilities, or cultural details that might otherwise be overlooked.
But reflecting diversity is an ongoing process rooted in continuous dialogue, listening, and learning, so our illustrations can more accurately reflect the richness and complexity of the communities served by Mass General Brigham.
We ended up developing a flexible, ready-to-use kit featuring a wide range of customizable elements, including skin tones, hairstyles, accessories, clothing, and poses. This system allows teams to create illustrations that are both visually consistent and truly reflective of the people they serve. Inclusive design is not the responsibility of one individual, it’s a shared commitment across the entire healthcare community. By providing inclusive, adaptable tools, we aim to contribute meaningfully to that ongoing effort.