Diagrams and figures are a critical and vital part of scientific communication. They share results, conceptualize ideas, and provide a common ground for discussion, especially in an interdisciplinary collaborations. On the other hand, if poorly constructed, diagrams and illustrations can confuse, mislead and obscure information. We are interested in the role that visual diagrams play in scientific communication, how scientists might be trained to create better diagrams, and how better diagrams can improve communication and collaborations between scientists from different disciplines.
We are an multidisciplinary group with expertise in visual design, education, learning sciences, information design, illustration, physics, chemistry and materials science, united by our common interest in visual communication between scientists.
Rolandi, Marco; Cheng, Karen; Pérez-Kriz, Sarah. "A Brief Guide to Designing Effective Figures for the Scientific Paper." Advanced Materials 23 (38): 4343-4346 (2011). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201102518
Workshops! We held an Introduction to Illustrator (for Scientists) workshop on Feb 14. Please email if you are interested in future dates!
Some good tutorials on using Illustrator, written by Marilyn, including how to transfer Excel plots into Illustrator.