Iridescent staff wearing electricity, Reynolds number, and MRI science T-shirts

Wearable Science

These science and engineering educational T-shirts have been created for educational non-profits for the purpose of making science and engineering more approachable to children, to inspire them into much needed careers in science and technology.
Most of the children who receive and wear these T-shirts come from low-income communities in inner cities in the US or in developing countries around the world (even though mostly just adult staff are photographed wearing them here).
The educational topics depicted - electricity, Reynolds number and animal locomotion, the MRI process, wind energy, and boat design - are complimented by T-shirts on the programs and workshop activities taught by the organizations.

Science Illustration

T-shirts

For

Iridescent & ONR (US Navy’s Office for Naval Research), & KidWind (wind energy only)

Exhibit

“Process: The Art of Illustrating Science Concepts” Solo Exhibit, Iridescent-ONR STEM Design Studio, Bronx, NY, 11/2010

Video Explanations

T-shirt showing methods of generating and storing electricity, and molecular and physics details, for Iridescent
Electricity T-shirt
These science and engineering educational T-shirts have been created for educational non-profits for the purpose of making science and engineering more approachable to children, to inspire them into much needed careers in science and technology.
sketch of T-shirt showing methods of generating electricity, of storing it, and molecular and physics details, for Iridescent
Electricity T-shirt Sketch
T-shirt comparing animal locomotion methods against the Reynolds number, for Iridescent
Reynolds Number T-shirt
Most of the children who receive and wear these T-shirts come from low-income communities in inner cities in the US or in developing countries around the world (even though mostly just adult staff are photographed wearing them here).
front of T-shirt on the MRI process showing magnets, magnetism, and molecules reactions, for Iridescent
MRI T-shirt (front)
back of T-shirt on the MRI process showing tissue wavelengths and how the image is produced, for Iridescent
MRI T-shirt (back)
The designs are highly conceptual and thorough in the explanation of concept, but fun at the same time, making the information easy to grasp. This was difficult to do, as it required a thorough understanding of the subject illustrated, but important if the children are to learn anything from them.
The educational topics depicted - electricity, Reynolds number and animal locomotion, the MRI process, wind energy, and boat design - are complimented by T-shirts on the programs and workshop activities taught by the organizations.
front of T-shirt on wind energy showing how wind is produced (on earth), for KidWind
Wind Energy T-shirt (front)
back of T-shirt on wind energy, showing how wind turbine works in detail with a diagram of the nacelle, for KidWind
Wind Energy T-shirt (back)
The designs are highly conceptual and thorough in the explanation of concept, but fun at the same time, making the information easy to grasp. This was difficult to do, as it required a thorough understanding of the subject illustrated, but important if the children are to learn anything from them.
students and staff in Ghana wearing Ioana's science T-shirts designed for Iridescent
Students & Teachers in Ghana Wearing the T-shirts
T-shirt for Iridescent's Technovation girls entrepreneurship coding program showing a circuit board going into a phone
Technovation Program T-shirt
Ioana conducted a lot of in-depth research and self-education on the individual subjects (watching MIT OpenCourseWare lectures on electricity, etc), then sketched out the story through diagrams. On some T-shirt designs, she double-checked the info with advisors. Since she is an outsider to science - the intended audience - it was easier for her than it would have been for a scientist to figure out what to include and what to leave out, and if the design makes sense to a layperson.
Ioana conducted a lot of in-depth research and self-education on the individual subjects (watching MIT OpenCourseWare lectures on electricity, etc), then sketched out the story through diagrams. On some T-shirt designs, she double-checked the info with advisors. Since she is an outsider to science - the intended audience - it was easier for her than it would have been for a scientist to figure out what to include and what to leave out, and if the design makes sense to a layperson.
T-shirt on children's Rube Goldberg activity, for Iridescent
Rube Goldberg (activity) T-shirt
front of T-shirt on boat design concepts, for Iridescent
Boat Design T-shirt (front)
back of T-shirt on boat design concepts, for Iridescent
Boat Design T-shirt (back)
back of workshop T-shirt
back of T-shirt with Iridescent's slogan: I imagine, I invent, I engineer

Work/Credits

Design & Science Research: Ioana Urma. Science Advisors: Kevin Miklasz (Reynolds number), John McArthur (Reynolds number & electricity), Harry Houchun Hu (MRI), Sinchai Tsao (MRI), Mike Simpson (electricity), Chris B. McKesson (boat physics), Isak Groskind (boat design). Photos: Iridescent (Iridescent staff, photo #1), Cooper Union (Iridescent-Cooper Union Ghana workshop, photo #2).