Jabez Kim

⁰⁵ Pill Palette

This motion graphic looks at how medication safety evolved through pill inscriptions and color coding.It starts with five pills that all look exactly the same on the outside, but are actually completely different medications—SSRI, benzodiazepine, ADHD stimulant, antipsychotic, and ibuprofen. By zooming in to a microscopic/chemical level, the differences become clear, but visually, they’re almost impossible to tell apart.The piece then shifts into the history of pills, showing how up until the mid-1900s, most medication was just a plain white round tablet. Color, shape variation, and engraved markings didn’t really come in until the 1960s.Using a minimal, textured illustration style and smooth, educational motion, the piece emphasizes how these visual systems became essential tools for reducing medication errors, improving patient safety, and increasing accessibility in modern healthcare.