Hello, I'm Namratha.
I'm an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in biomedical engineering and human-centered design,
investigating how health information moves across people, systems, technologies, and care contexts through a visual communication lens.
Instructional Materials
CGM Product Insert Redesign
A user-informed redesign of instructional illustrations and layout for a continuous glucose monitoring product insert.
View Project →
Visual Communication Systems
GMI Visual Language Audit
An audit of the visual language surrounding a new clinical metric, with proposed iconography and data visualization improvements.
View Project →
Narrative Illustration
Field Stories:
Global Cataract Surgery
A series of narrative illustrations communicating the complexity of the cataract surgery ecosystem in low-middle income countries.
View Project →
Ongoing
Lookbook
A living catalogue of visual work — browse the collection, shortlist what resonates, and reach out.
Browse →
About
-
I am an interdisciplinary professional and an avid creative. My BME background, work in global health, design experiences and my creative practice all inform how I approach visual communication design in health and medtech.
Working with me means following a systems thinking and a human-centered design approach to communication problems. I don't look at communication design as a supplement. I treat it as a critical aspect that makes or breaks medical device adoption, as a driver of positive behaviors, and an enabler of critical decision-making.
At the same time, I recognize the power of expressive, culturally responsive, and context-adaptive visual communication design. Therefore, I think about the design problem from a macro level (who is it for, what purpose does it serve, what call to action does it prompt) and a micro level (which color palettes best serve the intended use and user, what style is effective, which accessibility considerations need to be considered, and which boundaries do we need to work with).
-
My background is in biomedical engineering, global health, healthcare innovation and design.
I finished my bioengineering undergraduate studies at the University of Washington in Seattle and my Master's degree in Bioengineering Innovation and Design from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. This was also where I worked on the technical and commercial development of a low-cost cataract surgical technology as a healthcare innovation fellow in a startup environment.
Throughout my professional career, I've worked on immersive clinical, global health, translational research, and design and engineering projects that made me a strong systems thinker and communicator. Being part of the teaching team at various levels throughout my career further honed my skills in communicating concepts simply and effectively.
-
Undergrad: Mary Gates Research Scholarship | Levinson Research Scholarship | Amazon Catalyst Fellow | 2017 NIBIB Debut Challenge Honorable Mention
Grad & Beyond: VentureWell E-teams | VentureWell BME Idea International | Abell Foundation Fellowship | Alliance for a Healthier World Impact Grant | Cohen Translational Fund | NSF I-Corps | Cataract tech patent filing
Contact
