THE NAME
Lec·to·tpye
a specimen selected from an original collection to serve as thedefinitive reference for a species — chosen when the original type specimen has been lost or wasnever clearly designated. It is the standard againstwhich all others are measured. It is the authoritative example: the one you return to when you need to be certain.
That’s the standard every project here is built to.
MEET ALEXANDRA
The person behind the work.
Hi, I'm Alexandra McKillop, principal illustrator and founder of Lectotype Studio.
I started Lectotype because I want to create work that actually helps people understand science and helps scientists communicate their research in ways that are engaging and genuinely impactful. I help medical and research professionals who can’t afford to be misunderstood achieve visuals their audience can trust and act on, by making the decisions their audience never sees but always feels: what’s accurate, what’s essential, and what lands in seconds.
What that means for your project: I understand your science before I start drawing. I ask the right questions. I catch the errors a non-specialist would miss. And I'm familiar enough with the academic, clinical, and research publishing environment to know exactly what publication-ready means.
THE STUDIO
Science deserves visuals made with the same rigor and care as the work itself.
Too many scientific visuals exist to fill space. They are generic, technically imprecise, or designed without any real understanding of what the audience needs to take away. That is not a visual problem. It is a communication failure.
Lectotype Studio works differently. Every project starts with the science, not a template. The goal is not a just polished image. The goal is your audience understanding exactly what you need them to understand, in the time they are willing to spend looking.
APPROACH
Visual problem solving, not just visual production.
Every project at Lectotype begins with the same question: what does your audience need to understand, and what is the most direct path to that understanding? The answer drives every decision about what to include, what to simplify, what to leave out, and how to
structure the visual narrative.
This is what separates custom scientific illustration from template-based tools. You are not ordering a service. You are solving a problem.
VALUES
What every project is built on.
Accuracy first, always.
Every visual is built on verified scientific reference. A single inaccuracy is a credibility failure. There is no close enough.
Attention to detail.
The same rigor a scientist brings to their data, Lectotype brings to its work. Every element earns its place.
Design with intention.
Every visual decision — composition, color, hierarchy, and detail — is deliberate. Nothing is accidental.
Clarity over aesthetics.
Complex information made immediately legible. Understanding first, always. A beautiful visual that confuses its audience has failed.
Created to last.
Custom work built around specific research, not generic visuals that date quickly. Every project is built to serve its purpose for as long as the science behind it remains current.
WHO I WORK WITH
My clients.
I work with experts in: