What Inspired a Creative Leap from Medicine to SciVis? Claire Agosti’s Career Path
Have you ever dreamed of pursuing your own career path, outside the mainstream? It’s not always easy, and we’re excited to give you insight into the unconventional journey of our Art Director Claire Agosti.
Learn how she worked toward a career in medicine, gave herself needed time for self-discovery while traveling through South America, and ultimately melded her passions and found her dream job communicating science. It’s an inspiring story of resilience and adaptability as she moved from preparing for a medical career to pivoting to her ultimate role in creative leadership. Listen on our podcast and read on on here about her path from medicine to creative leadership.
Early Aspirations of Medical School and Travel
Claire’s professional story begins with a dream: to become a doctor and travel the world. At Lewis and Clark College, she designed her own pre-med program while nurturing a deep love for languages, particularly Spanish. Her studies led her to Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. There, Claire joined the Center Andes Foundation, contributing to a mobile surgery unit that traveled to remote areas. This hands-on experience was eye-opening, kindling her passion for the continent and sparking thoughts about the vast opportunities available outside traditional career paths.
A Bold Career Path Shift
Like so many others, Claire worked hard to prepare for medical school, but had to reassess when her MCAT results didn’t meet expectations. She found herself needing time to reflect, and chose to postpone medical school in favor of travel and exploration. Living in Peru was a time of self-discovery, and Claire found herself wrestling with whether to stay on the medical track or pursue something entirely different.
Her decision became clear: it wasn’t medicine she loved most—it was communicating science with art.
Building a Science Communication Career at SayoStudio
This pivotal realization led Claire back to Nicolle Fuller, founder of SayoStudio. Many years before, while still in college, Claire completed a science illustration internship with SayoStudio. After Claire’s travels she found the courage to reconnect and reach out to Nicolle to ask SayoStudio was in need of web design. At that time, Nicolle was just considering transitioning from freelance to growing her studio, and the timing felt perfect.
Claire self-taught herself web design and development, as a means to work anywhere in the world as she lived in South America. When Nicolle and Claire reconnected, Claire immersed herself in science illustration. She transitioned from website projects to creating intricate, visually engaging representations of complex scientific concepts. (Checkout our blog on creating science cover art based on AI inspiration). But even more than that, Claire brought her diverse experiences to help give insight and strategy to growing SayoStudio.
Claire has grown from an intern to the studio’s art director and creative team lead. Today, she oversees every stage of SayoStudio’s projects, blending leadership and creativity while guiding her team to produce work that bridges science and art.
Leadership, Mentorship, and Growth Building a Design Agency
Leading a creative team while nurturing her own artistic skills has been a delicate balance. Though she sometimes contends with insecurities about not having formal training in science illustration, she continually pushes herself to grow, and learn from both successes and challenges.
Claire credits her mentors, including her college art professor Deborah Beers and SayoStudio’s Nicolle Fuller, for inspiring her to embrace vulnerability and lead with confidence. Their guidance has shaped her leadership style, one rooted in collaboration and continuous improvement.
Looking Ahead: Collaboration and Innovation
For Claire, SayoStudio is more than a workplace—it’s a collaborative hub where creativity and curiosity thrive. Alongside Nicolle, she’s passionate about finding innovative ways to communicate science, tailoring their services to meet the evolving needs of clients. As Claire reflects on her unconventional journey, all of us at SayoStudio look forward to the exciting challenges ahead.
Claire Agosti’s career path is a testament to the value of adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to follow one’s passion—even if it means stepping off the beaten path. Her work at SayoStudio continues to inspire, proving that art can be a powerful bridge to understanding science.