Balancing Art, Admin, and Impact: A Look Inside SayoStudio’s Workflow

What does it take to run a creative studio that serves scientists? At SayoStudio, we are constantly balancing the big-picture creativity of illustration with the day-to-day realities of managing projects. In this episode of the SayoStudio Science Podcast, we share a candid look behind the scenes of our studio and how we approach creating visuals for researchers and science organizations.

We share what we have learned about balancing hands-on creative work with managing timelines, clients, and team workflows as our small studio grows.

Switching Between Creative and Administrative Work

Running a creative studio means constantly shifting gears. One moment we are sketching concepts, building color palettes, or reviewing final artwork. The next moment we are answering emails, managing budgets, or handling client updates. That switch can be jarring and it takes time to find a rhythm between the two modes of thinking.

Over time, we have learned how important it is to set boundaries and build flexibility into schedules so that the urgency of deadlines does not overwhelm the creative process.

Growing Our Team and Streamlining Processes

As our studio has grown, so has the need for clear and repeatable processes. Standard steps like internal research, sketching, color artwork, and revisions help create structure and consistency even when projects vary widely in style or scope.

These systems are especially helpful when we bring on freelancers or collaborate with new clients. Clear briefings and a shared understanding of concept development help maintain quality while still leaving space for creativity.

Concept Development Across Different Visual Styles

Concept development is at the heart of everything we do. No matter the style, the same foundation guides every project. A detailed figure for a scientific journal and bold cover art for a research feature may look completely different, but both follow a similar process of research, sketch, color, and refinement. This shared approach helps us create visuals that are both striking and true to the science they represent.

Building Community and Sharing Knowledge

Our work goes beyond individual projects. We are committed to building a broader community around science visuals and sharing what we have learned. Recently, we hosted our first webinar on figure design for scientists! It took significant planning and teamwork across the studio to make it happen and it marked an exciting step toward offering more educational resources. In case you missed it, check out the recap of the webinar here, or watch the recording on our YouTube channel! We are already planning future webinars to continue this mission of helping scientists communicate their work visually.

Looking Ahead

As we reflect on our growth as a studio and the challenges of running a creative science visuals studio, we are excited about what comes next. We have more webinars in the works, new projects we’re excited to share, and plans to grow our community and team. Subscribe to our newsletter here so you never miss a studio update or new video!

Listen to the full episode of the SayoStudio Science Podcast on our YouTube channel to hear more about our journey and our approach to balancing art and business in science communication: https://youtu.be/HDJ06twQldY