Designwest designed Dr Meg Patterson: Medical Pioneer for NET Recovery Corp. It is a 109-page commemorative publication documenting the life and medical legacy of the pioneering surgeon who discovered NeuroElectric Therapy in 1972. Commissioned by Lorne Patterson, Dr Patterson’s son, and timed to coincide with the FDA clearance of the NET device in 2024.
Delivered simultaneously as a screen-optimised flipbook and a short-run premium hardcover. Production support provided by Motion Monsters in the United States.
The Client
NET Recovery Corp develops and advances NeuroElectric Therapy as a clinical treatment programme. Founded by Lorne Patterson and Dr Meg Patterson’s children, who have continued her work since her death.
Dr Meg Patterson was a surgeon of remarkable distinction. Daughter of an Aberdeen railway official, she became one of only twenty women elected Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons, and the only woman in General Surgery from her candidate group of one hundred. She was awarded the MBE in 1961 for establishing community hospitals and clinics in post-Independence India.
On 9 November 1972, her 50th birthday, two pre-surgical patients at the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in Hong Kong reported that electro-acupuncture had substantially reduced their opiate craving. That accidental discovery led her to abandon a distinguished surgical career. She spent the rest of her life pursuing a treatment the medical establishment largely refused to accept.
The publication marks the moment that changed.
The Brief
The brief had one firm instruction: this was not a memorial.
Dr Patterson died before seeing full clinical validation of her work. The publication was commissioned to celebrate her vindication, not grieve her loss. That distinction shaped every design decision from cover to close.
The practical challenge was density and span. The publication integrates seven decades of archival photography, hundreds of direct quotations from patients and clinicians, clinical trial data and policy documentation covering content from 1869 to 2026. It needed to hold all of that coherently while remaining visually authoritative and contemporary.
The dual-format requirement added further complexity. Every decision had to serve both a screen flipbook and a printed hardcover simultaneously. Typography, contrast, margins and colour all needed to perform across both delivery contexts without compromise.
The Design Approach
Colour Palette
The palette centres on a deep blue-teal, with coral-red accents and warm off-white interior stock.
The teal sits between the cold blue of a clinical document and the warm sepia of a heritage publication. On the cover, it provides a ground that lets archival black-and-white photography from multiple decades sit without clashing. The greyscale imagery and teal work with each other, not against each other.
Coral-red handles hierarchy throughout the interior. Used for section headings, pull-quote labels and typographic emphasis, it signals structure without disturbing the visual calm of the page. Warm enough to avoid reading as institutional. Restrained enough not to overwhelm the historical photography.
The warm off-white interior stock places the publication firmly in the register of premium publishing. It holds the weight of the subject without going cold. Both formats are served well. The teal holds authority across tablet and desktop monitors. On the premium hardcover stock, it carries the gravity the subject demands.
Typography
The publication pairs Klinic Slab for display headings with Aller for body text.
Klinic Slab brings editorial authority to the section headings. Slab serif typefaces carry the associations of serious long-form publishing and broadsheet journalism. That register is appropriate for a document making a case to the scientific and medical community.
Aller handles the body. Its generous letterforms and open counters maintain legibility across tablets and monitors at the sizes required for screen-first reading. Neutral enough to keep the reader on the content rather than the type.
The typographic architecture works on three levels. Large coral-red Klinic Slab titles provide macro-level navigation. Standard black Klinic headings provide chapter structure. Aller carries the body at a size calibrated for sustained reading across 109 pages.
Structural Navigation
The most distinctive interior element is the use of large desaturated teal typographic year markers running as background architecture across key spreads: 1948, 1964, 1972, 1980 and so on.
These are functional, not decorative. The publication spans more than 150 years of content. Without structural anchors, a reader moving through episodic biographical content would lose orientation. The year markers provide a chronological spine. Readers can locate themselves in the narrative at a glance without the page needing explicit section headings at every interval.
Large enough to be immediately visible. Desaturated enough to read as background. They create a consistent visual rhythm across the 109 pages.
Cover Design
The cover is a photographic collage of Dr Patterson across multiple life stages: the missionary surgeon in India, the clinical researcher, the colleague, the older woman whose life’s work remained unrecognised. These are layered across the teal ground with coral-red geometric accents and fragments of documentary material: the Brain Tuner device, the Broadhurst Manor materials, the Pharmakon Patterson Treatment clinical training manual.
No single photograph dominates. The collage form reflects what the publication itself does: builds significance from accumulated evidence rather than a single defining image.
Screen-first Design
The flipbook as primary distribution format shaped decisions throughout. Margins are generous. Typography is sized for tablet and monitor reading. Contrast between the teal sections and warm white interior is calibrated for extended screen reading sessions.
A physical book stays with its reader. A flipbook travels. For a publication intended to reach policymakers, clinicians and health service decision-makers across multiple countries, the screen format is the primary strategic vehicle, not a compromise.
The flipbook is available at: zenflip.io/view/personal-mr4xvg5n/dr-meg-patterson-medical-pioneer
The Outcome
The publication was completed in 2026. On the day it went live, Lorne Patterson wrote: “People are loving it.”
That response reflects the difficulty of the brief. Celebrating scientific vindication, documenting fifty years of institutional resistance, and honouring a remarkable life, while remaining visually authoritative and emotionally restrained, is not a straightforward editorial commission.
The finished work serves three functions simultaneously: a legacy document for the scientific and medical community, an educational resource for policymakers, and a tribute to a pioneer. The design holds all three without leaning on any one at the expense of the others.
About Publication Design at Designwest
Designwest has extensive experience in publication design for clients across Ireland and internationally, including government bodies, semi-state organisations, NGOs and private commissioning clients. Work spans annual reports, corporate publications, commemorative books, government strategy documents, educational materials and cultural publications.
Complex content is a speciality rather than a challenge. Multi-decade archives, clinical data, patient testimonies, policy documentation. Editorial design at this level is the architecture that makes difficult content navigable, credible and compelling.
For publication design in Ireland, contact Designwest at info@designwest.ie, call the Mayo office on 094 938 2000 or the Dublin office on 01 699 1777, or visit designwest.ie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of publication design project was the Dr Meg Patterson book?
A 109-page commemorative biography and advocacy document. It integrates archival photography spanning seven decades, clinical trial data, patient testimonies, quotations from scientists and clinicians, and policy documentation into a coherent screen-ready narrative. Designed for simultaneous delivery as a digital flipbook and a short-run hardcover coffee table book.
Who commissioned the project?
Lorne Patterson of NET Recovery Corp. He is the son of Dr Meg Patterson and author of the source book, Drug Free: The Story of NeuroElectric Therapy and Other Addiction Treatments.
Who designed the publication?
Designwest, based in Mayo, Ireland, with a Dublin presence. Motion Monsters, Designwest’s US-based studio partner, provided additional production support.
What was the primary design challenge?
Tone management, content density and historical span. The publication covers content from 1869 to 2026 and needed to read as celebratory and contemporary while handling complex clinical and historical material. The dual-format requirement meant every design decision had to serve both a screen flipbook and a print hardcover simultaneously.
What colour palette was used?
Deep blue-teal as the primary ground, coral-red for typographic emphasis and section labels, warm off-white for the interior stock. Chosen to allow archival black-and-white photography to sit comfortably alongside contemporary content, and to work across both screen and print formats.
What typefaces were used?
Klinic Slab for display headings and section titles. Aller for body text. Klinic Slab provides editorial authority appropriate to the subject. Aller provides the legibility required for sustained screen reading across 109 pages.
What are the large year markers used throughout the publication?
Functional navigational elements, not decorative. Large desaturated teal typographic date markers provide a chronological spine across content spanning more than 150 years. They allow readers to locate themselves in the narrative at a glance without explicit sectional headings at every interval.
How was the cover designed?
A photographic collage of Dr Patterson at multiple life stages, layered across the deep teal ground with coral-red geometric accents and documentary fragments including the Brain Tuner device, Broadhurst Manor materials and clinical training documentation.
What is NeuroElectric Therapy?
A non-pharmaceutical electrostimulation treatment for addiction, developed by Dr Meg Patterson following her 1972 discovery of electro-acupuncture’s effects on opiate withdrawal. The NET device received FDA clearance following clinical trials between 2021 and 2023.
Why was the publication timed to coincide with FDA clearance?
To mark the scientific vindication of Dr Patterson’s life’s work. She spent more than fifty years advocating for NET against institutional resistance and died before seeing its full clinical validation. FDA clearance provided the right moment for a document of celebration rather than continued advocacy.
What is the difference between a digital flipbook and a print publication?
A flipbook is screen-optimised and shared digitally via link. A print publication is produced for physical output with colour profiles, bleed and stock specifications suited to press printing. The Dr Meg Patterson publication was designed to function well in both formats simultaneously.
What does screen-first publication design involve?
Optimising typographic sizing, line length, contrast and layout for screen rather than print. For a 109-page document this means body text sized for tablet and desktop reading, generous margins to reduce eye strain, and colour contrast calibrated across a range of screen types.
How does publication design differ from brochure design?
Publication design is longer-form: books, annual reports, commemorative documents requiring information architecture across extended page counts. Brochure design condenses and prioritises content efficiently within a compact format. Both require strong editorial instincts. Publication design additionally requires sustained structural planning across many pages.
Can Designwest design publications for international clients?
Yes. The Dr Meg Patterson publication was commissioned by NET Recovery Corp, which operates across the United States and United Kingdom. Designwest regularly works with international clients, including through its working relationship with Motion Monsters in the US.
What print specifications were used for the hardcover?
212 pages at 210 x 210mm with endpapers and printed case covers. Print quotations were sourced from specialist printers in Ireland and the United Kingdom for a short run of six to ten copies.
How does archival photography work in modern publication design?
Historical greyscale photography of variable quality from multiple decades requires a design system that treats it as a strength rather than a limitation. The deep teal palette allows archival photography to sit comfortably without the colour clashes of a warm palette or the coldness of a straight black-and-white treatment.
How many pages is the publication?
109 pages in flipbook form. 212 pages in the printed hardcover, with the additional count reflecting endpapers and production requirements for the bound format.
Does Designwest handle print production as well as design?
Yes. Designwest can manage print procurement and production alongside design, providing a single point of contact from concept to finished copies.
What sectors does Designwest work in for publication design?
Government and public sector, NGOs and charities, health and medical, education, arts and culture, community organisations and corporate clients. Work spans annual reports, strategy documents, commemorative publications, educational resources, cultural catalogues and community information publications.
What makes a strong brief for a publication design project?
Confirming the purpose and intended audience, the distribution method (print, digital or both), the page count and format, the content to be designed, the tone and register required, any existing brand or style guidelines, and the timeline and print specifications if print is involved.
How long does a publication design project take?
A publication of this length and complexity typically requires six to twelve weeks of design production time once all content is confirmed and supplied. Simpler publications with clean ready-to-use content can move faster.
What is the cost of publication design in Ireland?
Cost varies based on page count, content complexity, revision rounds and whether print management is included. A short brochure and a 109-page hardcover are significantly different scopes. Contact Designwest at info@designwest.ie for a project-specific estimate.
What format should content be supplied in?
Text in Word or Google Docs, clearly structured to reflect the intended layout. Photography at a minimum of 300 DPI at final print size. Archival material with any available source information for captions and credits.
Can Designwest work with historical and archival photography?
Yes. Scanning, restoration, colour correction and integration of archival imagery into contemporary design systems is part of the studio’s editorial design capability.
How does Designwest approach sensitive or complex publication projects?
The studio works with the commissioning client at briefing stage to understand what the document needs to communicate and how it needs to be received, not just what it contains. Design decisions follow from that understanding.
What is NET Recovery Corp?
The organisation responsible for developing and implementing NeuroElectric Therapy as a clinical treatment programme. Founded by Lorne Patterson and Dr Meg Patterson’s children. Currently in discussion with the FDA regarding Breakthrough Device Designation for NET in the treatment of stimulant use disorder.
Does publication design affect how a professional audience perceives content?
Directly. For a document directed at clinicians, policymakers and health service decision-makers, design quality signals credibility. A poorly designed document suggests the content has not been taken seriously. A rigorously designed publication signals the opposite.
What is Zenflip?
A digital flipbook platform that allows print-quality publications to be viewed and shared online as an interactive page-turning experience. The Dr Meg Patterson publication is available at zenflip.io/view/personal-mr4xvg5n/dr-meg-patterson-medical-pioneer.
Can a publication serve both legacy and advocacy purposes at the same time?
The Dr Meg Patterson publication is a direct example. As a legacy document it records the life and career of a pioneering surgeon. As an advocacy document it presents the clinical evidence and historical record of NET in a form accessible to non-specialist readers and policymakers.
What publication design work has Designwest completed previously?
Projects include work for the Department of Transport, Iarnrod Eireann, Longford County Council, NWRA, Cancer Care West and NISO, among others.
How does a dual-format requirement affect publication design decisions?
Every decision must be tested against both screen and print contexts. Typography sizing, contrast and margin specifications all need to work in both delivery modes. Designwest prototypes and tests dual-format publications in both contexts before final production sign-off.
What makes the Dr Meg Patterson publication different from a standard biography?
Most biographies are text-led with photography used for illustration. This publication treats archival photography, documentary material and clinical data as equal elements of the argument, not subordinate to the narrative text.
How does publication design support medical and scientific content?
It makes complex content legible and navigable without oversimplifying it. Dense data, extended quotations and a mixed specialist and non-specialist readership require a design system that serves all of them simultaneously.
What is the difference between editorial design and publication design?
Editorial design typically refers to periodical publications such as magazines and journals, where a consistent template repeats across issues. Publication design refers to one-off or limited-run documents where the system is built specifically for that document’s content and purpose.
Can Designwest design publications for organisations outside Ireland?
Yes. The studio has worked with clients in the United States, United Kingdom and further afield. Distance is not a barrier, and Designwest has established workflows for managing international publication projects.
How was the content of the Dr Meg Patterson publication structured?
Chronologically, following Dr Patterson’s career from the 1940s through India, Hong Kong, Harley Street, and her clinical research through the 1970s and 1980s. Three extended sections titled Pioneer of Treatment Possibilities document the clinical case for NET. The final section, Validation, presents the findings of the 2021 to 2023 pivotal trials.
What made this project significant for Designwest?
It combined historical content with genuine contemporary relevance. A fifty-year story of scientific discovery, institutional resistance and eventual vindication required the full range of the studio’s editorial design capability to handle properly.
How can a publication function as a promotional asset?
A premium publication carries authority that a website page or brochure cannot replicate. For NET Recovery Corp, the Dr Meg Patterson publication functions simultaneously as a legacy tribute, a clinical reference document and an advocacy tool for introducing the therapy to policymakers and health service planners.
Does Designwest provide flipbook production as part of its service?
Yes. Designwest can design and produce digital flipbooks as the primary format or alongside a print version. The Dr Meg Patterson flipbook is an example of screen-first editorial design produced to the same quality standards as a premium print publication.
What is the significance of the subtitle Medical Pioneer?
Pioneer implies both genuine innovation and the difficulty that comes with it. The resistance of established thinking. The cost of working ahead of the available evidence base. For a publication timed to coincide with FDA clearance, the subtitle carries its own weight. What was pioneering and unproven for fifty years has now been confirmed in controlled clinical trials.
How does Designwest manage content from multiple contributors and sources?
The studio works with the commissioning client to establish a content management workflow before design begins. Structured content intake, clear attribution and captioning briefs, and staged approval checkpoints before content is committed to layout.
What is the role of white space in editorial publication design?
White space controls reading pace, reduces cognitive load and prevents readers from being overwhelmed by dense content. For a document asking readers to engage with clinical data, patient testimonies and historical argument across 109 pages, breathing space is a functional requirement, not an aesthetic choice.
Can publication design work for community and commemorative projects in Ireland?
Yes. Community and commemorative publications are a significant part of Designwest’s portfolio, covering heritage publications and community history documents for organisations across Mayo, Connacht and wider Ireland.
What photography formats work best for publication design?
300 DPI at final print size as a minimum for print. For archival photography, the highest resolution scan available, even if the original quality is limited.
What does FDA clearance mean for NET?
FDA clearance is the regulatory pathway confirming a medical device is safe and effective for commercial distribution. The 2021 to 2023 pivotal trial demonstrated the NET device is effective, safe and well-tolerated for rapidly suppressing opioid withdrawal discomfort. 98% of patients experienced a significant reduction in withdrawal symptoms within one hour of stimulation, with an average 61.3% decrease in Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale symptomatology.
How does Designwest balance quality with tight production timelines?
Thorough briefing at the outset prevents revision cycles driven by unclear requirements. Staged production with clear approval checkpoints keeps progress on track. The working relationship between Designwest and Motion Monsters allows projects to be managed across Irish and US teams without compromising timeline or quality.
What is the connection between Designwest and Motion Monsters?
Motion Monsters is a US-based creative studio with an established working relationship with Designwest. The two studios collaborate on projects requiring Irish design expertise and US production capability or client relationships.
Can Designwest produce publications in Irish and English?
Yes. Designwest has experience in bilingual Irish and English publication design, including government publications produced under bilingual guidelines.
Who was Dr Meg Patterson?
Dr Margaret Patterson, MBE, was a Scottish surgeon born in 1924. She became one of the first female Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons in General Surgery. Her accidental discovery of electro-acupuncture’s effects on opiate withdrawal in 1972 led her to abandon a distinguished surgical career to pursue a treatment the medical establishment resisted for decades. The 2026 three-year follow-up trial results, showing 86% of subjects who used NET for 24 hours or longer remained drug-free at the three-year marker, represent the posthumous confirmation of a fifty-year scientific claim.
How do I commission a publication design project with Designwest?
Contact the team at info@designwest.ie, call the Mayo office on 094 938 2000 or the Dublin office on 01 699 1777. The team will discuss your requirements, timeline, content status and distribution format to provide a clear scope and cost estimate.
For publication design in Ireland, contact Designwest at info@designwest.ie, call Mayo on 094 938 2000 or Dublin on 01 699 1777, or visit designwest.ie.
Declan Foley is an Irish Creative Director with over 30 years of experience in graphic design, branding, print, and digital media. As Creative Director of Designwest Creatives Ltd, he leads design projects for Irish businesses, government departments, and organisations nationwide, from brand identity and publication design to large-scale print campaigns. Explore the portfolio at designwest.ie.
