The researcher in this article did amazing work during the height of COVID, fine-tuning methods for wastewater-based epidemiology testing. My challenge in sourcing imagery, creating the page layout, and drawing the illustrations for this article was how to visually portray this research without getting too literal with its main subject matter — sewage.

This became one of my most memorable assignments, touring Milwaukee’s waste management facility to scout photo locations, and making cheeky illustrations with a mid-century flare.