The dermatology project is a digitally generated image library documenting different degrees of Psoriasis disease severity, for use in clinical dermatology research.

Year: 2008 - 2009

Beverley was commissioned to work with Professor Jonathan Rees and Dr Caroline Murray from Dermatology, University of Edinburgh, on a research project aiming to using new models of visual depiction to scrutinize assessment methods for psoriasis disease severity. Dermatology is typically documented and modelled using patient photographs, which can raise issues around consent, and the personal nature of the material, physical characteristics, etc, can obscure clinical and patient interpretations. The project’s intention was to explore whether there were benefits in using digital visualisation processes that would remove some of the more personalised qualities of the imagery.

The project involved creating a digitally generated image library, developed using the 3D figure modelling software Poser. An off the shelf female 3D model was adapted, by adjusting the default digital fantasy figure proportions to create a figure that was more representative of a real-world woman’s physique. The digital texture map, an image used to ‘skin’ the model, was adapted and intricately layered as a digital collage, mapping disease plaques from photographic dermatology libraries on to the ‘skin’, to create depictions of different severities of typical psoriasis disease coverage. Beverley worked closely with the Dermatology staff to ensure realistic representations were achieved, and three severities were modelled, as mild, moderate and severe.

The image library was used experimentally with NHS Lothian staff working in Dermatology and other areas, as well as dermatology patients, to assess variations in judgement and assessment of disease severity. Valuable insight was gathered into differences in attitudes, perception and bias across the groups.