Max Needle's Portfolio with Sample Presentation

Here, I share some samples of my work in science communication and design. There is a mix of cartoons, graphs, and informational graphics that were included in scientific publications and/or presentations.

All images (2D and 3D) are original work except for the Unity logo which is used in the pipeline image. 

I manage www.virtualfieldgeology.com (this website). Although this particular page is my portfolio, you may explore other pages of this website to view some of my work in virtual field geology.

Condensed PowerPoint of my Ph.D. dissertation defense

This presentation contains some sample slides to get a sense of my visual capabilities, including polygonal 3D models, graphs, and cartoons. The original presentation was 150 slides and included embedded videos -- I can share this upon request.

Structural Geology Query Toolkit

Some of the images below are from my publications on the Structural Geology Query Toolkit. The menu for this website will also assist in navigating to information about this work. 
  • Needle, M. D., Mooc, J., Akers, J. F., & Crider, J. G., The Structural Geology Query Toolkit for digital 3D models: Design custom immersive virtual field experiences, 2022: Journal of Structural Geology, 163, 104710. [link]
  • Needle, M. D., Crider, J. G., Mooc, J., & Akers, J. F., Virtual field experiences in a web-based video game environment: open-ended examples of existing and fictional field sites, 2022: Geoscience Communication, 5(3), 251-260. [link]
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Workflow for the Structural Geology Query Toolkit
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A breakdown of information represented by polygonal meshes
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Adjusting parameters within Unity using our software kit
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Using our prefabricated rock hammers to embed 2D information in your games
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Images from a custom mapping exercise

Whaleback Virtual Field Excursion

Explore this virtual field excursion, the Whaleback, the flagship game produced with the Structural Geology Query Toolkit. 
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Click on image to go to itch.io site to have the virtual field experience

Sample of Conference Poster (low resolution)

I made this poster in CorelDraw, a vector-illustration software (similar to Adobe Illustrator). It features photos, screenshots of my video-game work, and images of 3D art that I made. 
Reference: 
​Needle, M. D. and Crider, J. G., New ways of looking at the Whaleback Anticline: a video-game based virtual field experience to enhance access, learning, and scientific discovery, 2022: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 54, no. 3.

Structural Geology -- employing a multitude of design techniques for one image

I created this graphic with several graphics programs. 
  • Mesh was generated in Rhino3D, a CAD program.
  • The mesh was outlined in Procreate, for which I used a stylus and my iPad to hand-draw the outline.
  • North arrow and scale bar were generated in CorelDraw, a vector graphics program. 
  • Stereonets were generated in Rick Allmendinger's Stereonet 11 and subsequently edited as SVGs in CorelDraw.
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Geologic fold: The follow is a polygonal mesh derived from point-cloud data of a fold created with structure-from-motion photogrammetry. I've extracted orientation data from the mesh to generate pi-plots -- the black boxes represent the orientation of the fold's axis.

Paleontology

My undergraduate research included two different studies on burrows: One made by an ancient amphibian and another made by a dinosaur that was digging for mammals. Here is an image from the latter publication for which I used a classic stippling technique to illustrate the fossilized burrow.

​You can see the journal article here: 
Simpson, E. L., Hilbert-Wolf, H. L., Wizevich, M. C., Tindall, S. E., Fasinski, B. R., Storm, L. P., Needle, M. D., 2010, Predatory digging behavior by dinosaurs: Geology, v. 38, no. 8, p. 699-702.
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Stippled illustration from Simpson et al. 2010

Rutgers Geology Museum

During my time at the Rutgers Geology Museum, I was the in-house graphic designer. Below are a few samples of my work.
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Fun map for visitors (public) on Rutgers Day. This map was received at our outdoor booth and was intended to guide and excite potential visitors to the museum nearby.
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Cartoon of some of the main attractions at the museum. Initially, this graphic was a banner for the website that I created. The user could hoover their mouse over a character and their would be an accompanying animation.

Other Science Related Cartoons

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I was commissioned to illustrate a commemorative sticker for the 50th anniversary of the U. of Washington's Quaternary Research Center.
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A cartoon I drew to accompany a colleague's Ph.D. defense presentation.

Press

The following are links to some press coverage of my work in science:

Virtual Field Excursion Research
Paleontology
This is an invited talk I gave at Central Washington University. The talk was broadcasted live on Nick Zentner's Youtube channel.