Maybe it’s the fact that we’re always working in the virtual world, but we’re always pleased and flattered when our work is recognized (it turns out that the submicroscopic forms of life that we tend to focus on aren’t so good at passing out compliments – go figure).

So yep, having Wired UK (basically, the techno-nerd’s bible) do an amazing 8-page centerspread that called XVIVO innovators in the field of scientific visualization was a real big deal for us. The article centered on some of the biologic processes that inspire our work, including cell development, how drugs move around the body and cause things to happen, and the delicate chemical harmony that operates in the background in all living things.

If you’ll allow us to brag just a bit – we like to think that our high resolution renders, insistence on accurate molecular depiction, and signature color schemes are some of the things that make our work immediately recognizable. We work hard to produce quality animations, (in the past, we’ve gotten noticed by the New York Times and StudioDaily), and you may find our work in classrooms inspiring students, in offices educating clinicians, or decorating the screen on your computer, tablet or smartphone with our beautiful wallpaper images.

XVIVO is based in the U.S., but we work with clients in Turkey, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and New Zealand. The article in Wired UK is proof to us that what we are doing is attracting attention on the global stage, and we could not be more excited about that. Expanding into all these new markets helps us stretch our own horizons and (we hope) become even more creative.

Here at XVIVO, it is our belief that true innovation and progress exist where fields of study collide. We are constantly working to bring artistic sensibilities into science, or to infuse hard data into wild and colorful imagery. This isn’t just for eye-candy’s sake – studies have shown that computer animations can significantly enhance understanding of complex concepts.

We would just like to extend our thanks to Wired UK for taking the time to recognize us and hope that you all enjoy our work.

So get your hands on the May 2013 Edition of Wired UK and check out how we’ve caught the eye of the techie’s magazine of choice. In case you can’t get a physical copy (or the link stops working), here are some of the images that Wired showcased, as well as some quotes from the story.

The Connecticut-based animation studio XVIVO brings our biology to life through high quality visualizations, writes Madhumita Venkataramanan. “Scientists often have complex stories to tell, and we help them to simplify these through animation and images,” says Michael Astrachan, President and founder of XVIVO. “We just finished an animation for the US National Institutes of Health to clarify what ‘extracellular RNA’ is,” Astrachan says. This recently discovered family of molecules is similar to DNA but is found outside of the cell it was synthesized in, and is thought to play a role in communication between cells. “The NIH wanted to entice more researchers to apply for grants in the area and study it closely.”

XVIVO references various materials including medical illustrations, electron micrographs and photos to create its work. “Although we use real data, there is no visible color at the microscopic scales we look at,” says Astrachan. “So, to convey the beauty in science we get to make up the colors.” Astrachan, who trained as an artist, taught himself 3D animation in 1998, Three years later he cofounded XVIVO, which now has a staff of ten artists, producers, illustrators and designers who work on a dozen projects at a time. “For me, animation speaks the language of art, it is just a different canvas,” Astrachan says. “I want to use my knowledge to help move the vision of scientists forward.”

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Refresh your screens With XVIVO’s background wallpaper images!

We recently released a bunch of medical media wallpapers and we are very excited to be showcased on medGadget.

Refresh you screen with the link below…

http://www.medgadget.com/2013/02/refresh-your-screens-with-xvivos-background-wallpapers.html

We all have wallpaper on our computers. Some people enjoy kittens, others wide open vistas, but for those who appreciate the sublime beauty of the microscopic realm displayed on their screens… XVIVO has released wallpapers of our medical animations just for you. Enjoy!

After research, client conferences and consultations with medical experts XVIVO’s animators set to the task of developing the stunning creations that bring our client’s science stories to life.

Lead animator Brett Murrah, who just won the coveted “LightWave Power Artist Award” discusses the processes, philosophy and tools that have made XVIVO a trusted resource for our clients over the years. Read the full story at LightWave 3D’s blog or click the image below.

Gamification is big in the medical marketing industry

There is a lot of renewed buzz on Twitter about gamification, particularly in the medical and medical marketing industries. This is in no small part due to conferences like the recent Games for Health 2012 and articles anticipating a major shift toward gamified marketing in the medical sector.

The topic can be a bit of a lightning rod, but our experience in developing interactive applications has taught us one important question to ask when gamification comes up: Do you want your interactive media to actually be like a game – or do you want your media to engage users like games do?

The distinction is important- most people don’t actually want their media to have game mechanics. They just want their interactive media to keep users engaged. If you want your interactive media to be as interesting and engaging as video games you have to understand why games are motivating.

What really motivates people about gamification?

The study of motivation, what keeps people involved in a task, is by no means new. However, there have been some very recent breakthroughs which help us understand what motivates behavior. For years something called behaviorism dominated discourse on motivation – the “carrot on the stick” theory in which motivation is proportional to reward (or punishment).
But more recently, opinion has begun to shift toward something called Self-Determination Theory, or SDT. Self-Determination Theory suggests that if a task is well designed to be intrinsically motivating, people will engage regardless of external reward. This is generally what people are looking for when they say “gamification” – they want something people keep coming back to because it’s intrinsically rewarding, not just a carrot on a stick.  (I’m a little confused – you say that SDT states that people keep coming back because it’s intrinsically engaging and NOT because it’s rewarding…but then you finish the paragraph by saying that they keep coming back because it IS rewarding)

According to Self-Determination Theory we are motivated by the need for competence, autonomy and relatedness. Competence: the need to express mastery of a task. Autonomy: a sense of volition in the tasks, or that we are in charge of our destiny. Relatedness: the need to relate to others and receive authentic and supportive interaction.

We’ve helped a number of clients realize medically relevant interactive challenges – and every success story begins and ends with knowing exactly where you want to be and exactly what you want your media to achieve. I’m looking forward to seeing if this trend toward gamification continues – as I said in my previous blog, education is a key factor in the marketing of medical innovations. Gamification, or motivation theory, has serious potential to keep customers engaged and educate them with well developed and medically relevant interactive media.

A major pharmaceutical company I follow, because their products are so unique, began a YouTube channel and posted it to Twitter. The channel is full of videos explaining things about world health issues and oncology. The videos were entertaining, informative and well rendered- but I began to wonder why they were talking about the problems, and not their solutions.

Information and Marketing with Medical Media

The truth is, the most innovative medical technologies have the hardest time finding support from customers and investors. If you create something simple like a new headache medicine that comes in capsule form- the sell is easy. Customers know what a headache is and know how to take capsules. Investors, if shown the product has a competitive edge, will understand, “Oh, you have a better headache medicine!”

But when you get into the very cutting-edge innovations – the vaccines, medications and devices which big companies are producing that can truly save lives – there’s a problem. The technology, the problem it addresses and how it works are often so complex that customers and investors are hesitant to support something they can’t readily understand. The researchers understand it at every level, the investors aren’t quite sure one way or the other what the product is or how it works.

There’s an information gap between life-changing technology and those with the power to bring it to market.

At XVIVO we have the privilege of creating media that bridges this knowledge gap helping our clients move some very important products to market. When our work helps explain a medicine that reduces the risk of stroke, devices that make the difference in the operating room, or medical innovations that improve the quality of lives for thousands we feel we are not only moving a product to market but giving voice to the researchers that dedicate their lives to improving healthcare.

I’m very excited to be speaking with attendees of the 2012 Games for Health Conference on the Art of XVIVO. The Games For Health conference is a gathering of game developers, researchers and leading health professionals to discuss, debate and discover how games and game technology can improve health and healthcare.

As the premier creator of medical media for educational purposes, it is XVIVO’s pleasure to attend and speak at this event. I will be speaking a bit about XVIVO – how we render medical and biological processes – and taking questions in an open forum.

With a mere week until the ePharma Summit in NYC, Michael and I are getting very excited to meet with colleagues both new and old to discuss the most up-to-date methods for e-marketing in the life sciences industry. The whole XVIVO team has been working hard to prepare some great animations that will play on the screens between sessions and they will even be used for the keynote speakers’ introductions.

Aside from our animations, I personally am excited to be presenting and exchanging ideas with colleagues on Wednesday, February 8th. The Case Study Tracks session on Multi-Channel HCP Marketing begins at 1:30pm and includes a presentation about building personal communication through non-personal promotion by Scott Wearley from Daichii Sankyo.

I  will be presenting “Develop Interactive Programs and Animations to Aid Sales Force Efforts,” with William Tunno, the Director of Product Marketing at Incyte Corporation. William and I will discuss the development of the original MPN (Myeloproliferative Neoplasm) mechanism of disease (MOD) 3D animation program and its use as an interactive educational piece. This MOD animation program was also used in various other situations, like in meetings and printed marketing materials. The end goal was to create a knowledge base in anticipation for the products coming to market. It should be a very interesting presentation!

If you are interested in attending the ePharma Summit at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers which takes place February 6-8, use XVIVO’s discount code (XP1706XVIVO) when registering to receive a reduced admission price for the event. We look forward to seeing you there!

XVIVO has created our second animation for Incyte which will be featured at the American Society of Hematology’s 53^rd annual meeting in San Diego, California. ASH’s education and scientific programming introduces current research, therapies and tools used by both researchers and clinicians. Last year XVIVO created a Mechanism of Disease animation (shown below) along with an interactive DVD. This year Incyte presents a mechanism of action animation. As always, we are honored to work with the Incyte team helping them bring their science story to life. XVIVO has also been commissioned to produce another interactive DVD for Incyte.

Incyte is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to be used in the treatment of cancer and inflammation.

It was a pleasure collaborating with this impressive team of scientists and pharmaceutical professionals who are doing amazing work with novel compounds and reaching toward late-stage clinical development of promising new drug therapies.

Read More About Incyte: http://www.incyte.com/about.html

Read More about ASH Annual Meeting