The Role of Multimedia in Science

Have you ever been to a talk or lecture and felt bored? The problem is rarely the science itself, but how it is presented. Cluttered slides, tiny text, odd color combinations, flickering screens, bad audio, or blurry images without scale bars can make even the best research feel distant. Sometimes great work simply gets lost under poor design.

Good communication begins with understanding how people see and process information. Visual design, storytelling, and structure are just as important as the data itself. Without that understanding, it’s like music playing in a sealed empty barrel: the sounds are muffled and unclear, and we can’t truly feel the richness of the melodies. With a few well-crafted slides, clear visuals, and a strong narrative, you can share your science in a way that audiences truly enjoy and remember.


Science needs clarity, creativity, and storytelling to reach audiences beyond the lab.

My work lives where science meets storytelling. I produce videos, posters, presentations, web pages, and photographs that help researchers share their discoveries with impact. The right multimedia, whether a well-designed figure, a short video, or a clear webpage, can turn complex research into something accessible and engaging for peers, policymakers, and the public. I often think there’s a much bigger audience — one that’s rarely exposed to your intricate and fascinating ideas. These are people who may not know your specific field, but whose lives are nonetheless shaped by your work.

To be clear, not every scientist should have to be a designer, video producer or web developer. Research groups benefit when they have communicators who understand both the scientific content and the visual tools needed to bring it to life. This kind of collaboration helps research travel farther and connect more deeply.

Making the Invisible Visible

As research becomes more interdisciplinary and global, good visuals are more important than ever. A single figure can sometimes explain what pages of text cannot. A short video can reveal the human story behind a discovery. When used thoughtfully, multimedia invites curiosity, builds trust, and helps science reach far beyond the lab.

In the end, the goal is not just to make science look good but to make it understood. When research is seen and appreciated by wider audiences, it has a greater chance to inspire action, foster collaboration, and drive new ideas.

Examples of Multimedia Work at Our Centre

Example 1: Short advertisement video

This short video introduces the ROTS — Reproducibility-optimized test statistic for differential expression analysis

Example 3: Lecture by Professor of Practice Timo Veromaa

This lecture provides an insight into the useful practices and tools of public communication and engagement in science

Example 4: Åbo Akademi University Department of Cell Biology

This video showcasesthe world of cell biology and aims to inspire young students to join the department.

The author of this article is a multimedia producer at Turku Bioscience Centre

Henok Karvonen
Henok Karvonen

Project specialist/Multimedia Producer

Turku Bioscience Center

Disclaimer: This article was reviewed and linguistically refined with the assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to improve clarity, readability, and tone. The ideas and content remain those of the author.

0 Comments

    Leave a Reply

    XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

    Recent Posts