Visual strategies : a practical guide to graphics for scientists and engineers

or researchers in all disciplines, this book offers a practical, hands-on course in communicating scientific findings and concepts through visual graphics. Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researchers—even those with no previous design training—with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations. Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some work while others don't, and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science, Nature, Annual Reviews, Cell, PNAS, and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators. For researchers in all disciplines,this book offersa practical, hands-on course incommunicating scientific findings and concepts through visual graphics Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researcherseven those with no previous design trainingwith creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations. Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some workwhile others don't,and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science , Nature , Annual Reviews , Cell , PNAS , and the New England Journal of Medicine , as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators. Cover......Page 1 VISUAL STRATEGIES......Page 6 ABOUT THE AUTHORS......Page 2 OVERVIEW......Page 8 WHY THIS GUIDE?......Page 9 SPEAKING OF DESIGN: A CONVERSATION......Page 11 A ROADMAP: HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE......Page 15 YOUR FIRST STEP: ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU BEGIN......Page 19 YOUR TOOLS......Page 21 FORM AND STRUCTURE......Page 34 Graphical Tools......Page 38 Graphical Tools......Page 40 Graphical Tools......Page 42 Graphical Tools......Page 44 Graphical Tools......Page 46 Graphical Tools......Page 48 PROCESS AND TIME......Page 50 Graphical Tools......Page 54 Graphical Tools......Page 56 Graphical Tools......Page 58 Graphical Tools......Page 60 Graphical Tools......Page 62 Graphical Tools......Page 64 COMPARE AND CONTRAST......Page 66 Graphical Tools......Page 70 Graphical Tools......Page 72 Graphical Tools......Page 74 Graphical Tools......Page 76 Graphical Tools......Page 78 Graphical Tools......Page 80 CASE STUDIES......Page 82 INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS......Page 116 VISUAL INDEX......Page 150 APPENDIX......Page 158 VISUAL STRATEGIES ONLINE FORUM AND MAGAZINE......Page 159 FURTHER READING......Page 160

Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researchers—even those with no previous design training—with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations.

Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some work while others don't, and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science, Nature, Annual Reviews, Cell, PNAS, and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators.

Explanatory graphics can clarify or strengthen an argument by guiding us through data or concepts. Exploratory graphics draw us into the research process, allowing us to discover patterns and relationships ourselves. This guide will help you create more effective graphics to support your work. A guide that sets out strategies and offers examples to assist researchers - even those with no previous design training - with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations For researchers in all disciplines, this book offers a practical, hands-on course in communicating scientific findings and concepts through visual graphics