A breast cancer diagnosis comes with more than medical questions. It brings uncertainty, fear, and a need for answers that feel understandable and reassuring. Dr. Joe Explains wanted to help patients navigate those moments with content that went beyond medical explanations. We partnered with their team to create three videos combining real patient experiences, animation, live action, and stop motion to make difficult conversations feel more approachable.
After a breast cancer diagnosis, patients are faced with complicated medical terminology, difficult decisions, and questions they may not even know how to ask. Dr. Joe Explains wanted to create educational content that could connect with patients on a deeper level. But another straightforward medical explainer wasn't enough.
The challenge was finding a way to communicate important information while acknowledging the very real emotions behind it.
We sat down with Tori Geib to learn about her experience with breast cancer. Rather than simply asking her to explain medical concepts, we explored the moments that shaped her journey.
What was it like hearing the diagnosis? How did her family react? What challenges did she face navigating health insurance?
These conversations uncovered something more powerful than a traditional educational script. Tori's experiences offered a personal perspective that could help other patients feel less alone in their own journeys.
From a single interview, we developed two distinct narratives: one focused on educational information and another centered on Tori's personal story.
We explored different storytelling formats to see how each could help make the subject more relatable.
Through live action, we gave audiences the opportunity to hear directly from Tori, preserving the authenticity and emotion of her experience.
Through animation, we translated parts of the conversation into a visual story, helping communicate ideas and feelings that might be difficult to express through words alone.
We also created a stop-motion promotional video featuring Dr. Joe Explains materials, offering a playful, attention-grabbing way to introduce the educational resources to a wider audience.
Each format served a different purpose, but all three worked toward the same goal: making complex healthcare conversations feel more human.
and how the story was used in a story ecosystem
A story-driven animated video developed from our interview with Tori, bringing her experiences and perspectives to life through illustration and motion.
An interview-based video featuring Tori's firsthand experiences, connecting her personal journey with important educational topics.
A short-form stop-motion piece highlighting Dr. Joe Explains materials in a format designed for social media.
based on trust, not just metrics
The project gave Dr. Joe Explains three distinct ways to reach and connect with patients navigating a breast cancer diagnosis. By focusing on Tori's experiences, we helped transform medical education into something more personal, relatable, and emotionally meaningful.
The approach also demonstrated how a single conversation could become multiple pieces of content, each connecting with audiences in a different way.
As Dr. Joe Explains co-founder and CEO Abby Hofmeister shared:
"Made By Things knows there is always a story that hasn't been told, and they are experts in finding it. They went beyond the diagnosis and found the stories others need to hear."
The result was an opportunity to help patients recognize their own experiences in someone else's story.
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Our process began with an in-depth studio interview with Tori. We approached the conversation with curiosity, asking questions that went beyond the clinical details of her diagnosis. Some were difficult. Others were questions patients might be hesitant to ask themselves.
From that interview, we identified two different storytelling opportunities: one that supported Dr. Joe's educational mission and another that gave Tori's personal experience room to resonate. We then explored how live action and animation could each bring those narratives to life, followed by a separate stop-motion piece designed to introduce the educational materials.
What started as a conversation about breast cancer education became an opportunity to tell a story about the person behind the diagnosis.
with us.A strong partnership between organization and studio is the crux of great creation. We listen. We ask questions. We seek out the story hiding beneath the surface. Then we bring it to life through creative documentation.
