Fragile Skin: Visualising the Silent Toll on Poison Dart Frogs

Four sets of six color samples created by each team member, inspired by the vibrant skin tones of healthy poison dart frogs.

About

Our project visualizes the devastating impact of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a deadly fungal pathogen that attacks the skin of poison dart frogs—a vital organ for respiration, hydration, and toxin regulation. Bd thrives in warm, humid environments, making it increasingly dangerous under the conditions brought on by global warming. The disease causes excessive skin shedding, redness, and, ultimately, organ failure and death.

Through changes in colour, texture, and form, we capture the progression of this infection, using visual storytelling to highlight the frogs’ vulnerability. Just as poison dart frogs evolved bright, aposematic colours to warn predators of their toxicity, we repurpose this natural defence as a visual alarm to raise awareness. Our goal is to communicate the ecological urgency of their decline and encourage conservation efforts through a compelling material narrative.

Initially, we explored creating an immersive climate simulation, but due to practical limitations, we shifted toward a more accessible, visually-driven format. Our interdisciplinary research—spanning biology, climatology, and virology—shaped a design approach that balances scientific insight with emotional impact, aiming to engage audiences in the broader conversation about biodiversity loss and climate crisis.

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Team

Project Outcome Collage
Yangjin Zhang
Portrait
Zibing Wang
Photo portrait Artist
Wenwen Cai
photo portrait of artist
Hao Chen

Project Images

An image displaying four individual outcomes—one from each team member—each using similar color combinations inspired by poison dart frogs to create a sense of unity. Descriptive text accompanies each piece, explaining its concept and materials.
Four individual design outcomes using a shared color palette inspired by poison dart frogs. Though each piece reflects a unique medium and concept, the unified palette visually connects the works.
A digital spread showing the visual output of a handbook design titled “Visual Output” by Zibing Wang. The layout consists of multiple pages featuring high-contrast imagery of frogs in black and white, scientific diagrams, cellular structures, and photographs of poison dart frogs. Text in both English and Chinese is integrated into several pages. The design combines biological visuals with abstract graphics and overlays, creating a striking, research-based aesthetic that reflects the ecological and fungal threats facing poison dart frogs.
A handbook design by Zibing Wang exploring the ecological vulnerability of poison dart frogs through scientific imagery, bilingual text, and abstract visual language. The publication combines research in biology and design to communicate the impact of Bd disease and the broader entanglement between species, environment, and survival.
Gallery render showcasing collaborative outcomes from the Rana Terra project. From left to right: a poster of frog-inspired color studies, Leyla’s sculpture reflecting ulcerated frog skin, Zibing’s moving image works depicting the spread of Bd disease, Wenwen’s jewelry pieces inspired by cellular structures, and Umi’s textile quilt visualizing skin deterioration through layered appliqué.
A digital mock-up of a gallery exhibition displaying five student works related to poison dart frogs. From left to right: a framed poster of circular color samples; a red and blue sculptural wall piece by Leyla; a set of abstract video screens in green, yellow, and orange hues by Zibing; organic-shaped jewelry designs mounted on the wall by Wenwen; and a floor quilt by Umi, composed of four vibrant textile panels mimicking frog skin patterns.
An image displaying four individual outcomes—one from each team member—each using similar color combinations inspired by poison dart frogs to create a sense of unity. Descriptive text accompanies each piece, explaining its concept and materials.
A digital spread showing the visual output of a handbook design titled “Visual Output” by Zibing Wang. The layout consists of multiple pages featuring high-contrast imagery of frogs in black and white, scientific diagrams, cellular structures, and photographs of poison dart frogs. Text in both English and Chinese is integrated into several pages. The design combines biological visuals with abstract graphics and overlays, creating a striking, research-based aesthetic that reflects the ecological and fungal threats facing poison dart frogs.
Gallery render showcasing collaborative outcomes from the Rana Terra project. From left to right: a poster of frog-inspired color studies, Leyla’s sculpture reflecting ulcerated frog skin, Zibing’s moving image works depicting the spread of Bd disease, Wenwen’s jewelry pieces inspired by cellular structures, and Umi’s textile quilt visualizing skin deterioration through layered appliqué.