Activity Book for Children with Epilepsy: Be Bold, Be Brave, Be YOU
Industry: Biopharmaceutical
Client type: Pharma patient advocacy team
Purpose: Patient support and community resource
Deliverables: 143-page illustrated activity book — original character design, line illustrations, page layout design, print-ready files
Year: 2023
Project Description
A biopharmaceutical company wanted to create an activity book for children living with epilepsy and their siblings. The goal was genuine support and encouragement for a patient community that often feels isolated, in a form engaging and fun enough for a child to actually use.
Epilepsy affects approximately 50 million people worldwide and is one of the most common neurological conditions in children. Despite its prevalence, children with epilepsy frequently experience social challenges tied to the visibility of their condition: seizure episodes at school, protective helmets, restrictions on activities their peers take for granted, and the weight of having a condition that many people misunderstand. Siblings carry their own set of challenges, often taking on informal caregiving roles or managing worry about their brother or sister.
The goal of the book was not clinical. It was to help children feel that their experience is normal, that they are not alone, and that living with epilepsy does not define what they are capable of. The “Be Bold, Be Brave, Be YOU” title and rock star theme set the tone: children with epilepsy are not defined by their diagnosis.
Our Solution
Kryski Biomedia developed original character designs and line illustrations throughout the 16-page book. The illustrations depict elements drawn from the real, daily experience of a child with epilepsy: protective helmets, wheelchairs, service dogs, and a diverse cast of children across ethnicities and backgrounds. Character designs were built to be relatable and representative, so a child picking up the book would see themselves reflected in the pages.
The illustrations work at two levels: detailed enough to hold a child’s interest, simple enough to color in comfortably. Every piece was produced as clean line art ready for a child to personalize with their own colors.
Page layouts were designed to keep children moving through the book, varying between full-page illustrations, activity spreads, coloring pages, and interactive elements. The book was laid out in Adobe InDesign, illustrated in Adobe Illustrator, and delivered print-ready.
Patient support materials and the role of illustration
For pharmaceutical companies developing treatments for conditions affecting children, patient support materials do more than educate. A well-made activity book, handed to a family at diagnosis or during treatment, tells them the company sees the whole child, not just the condition.
Photography cannot achieve the warmth, the inclusivity, or the specific quality of hand-crafted character illustration. Stock images cannot show a child with a service dog in a way that feels like her actual world. Custom illustration can. Kryski Biomedia has produced patient support and education materials for pediatric rare disease and chronic condition programs across multiple therapeutic areas.
Services: Illustration, Character Design, Publication Design, Patient Education, Pediatric Healthcare Communications
