Top 4 tips for designing a graphical abstract

Nobel Prize 2021 in Physiology or Medicineinfographics

Why are graphical abstracts important?

Graphical abstracts are a powerful tool that you can use to visually summarize and communicate your research. It is often the first thing a reader looks at in a journal article but knowing how to design a clear and compelling visual can be challenging. In this guide, you'll learn actionable tips for designing an effective graphical abstract to inform and impress your readers.

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Plan ahead!

There's nothing worse than finishing your figure only to realize it doesn't fit the guidelines. Before getting started with your graphical abstract, make sure to check the journal guidelines and specs, specifically: font, dimensions and colors. This simple step only takes a few minutes but can save you a lot of time in the long run.

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Starting your graphical abstract

Creating a figure from scratch can be daunting. To help you kick-start your figure-making, start by focusing on these three areas:

The main message of your study. Use 1-2 sentences to summarize your research paper. This is the foundation of your graphical abstract.

Your layout. Gather examples of other graphical abstracts to determine which layout will work best for yours. Pro tip: browse the BioRender template gallery for inspiration.

Your story flow. Sketch your ideas on paper. Get your thoughts down and create a rough draft.

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Top 4 tips for designing a graphical abstract

Once you have the content of your graphical abstract planned out, you'll need to create a clear, effective design. Here are four simple design tips to help guide you:

Layout - Use a layout that effortlessly guides the reader through your figure.
Bonus tip: Try unidirectional flows for step-wise information and cyclical flows for processes.

Color and contrast - Pick the main color for your figure and an accent color to highlight key elements.
Bonus tip: Check that the colors you pick have good contrast in grayscale so the reader can differentiate all elements in your figure easily.

Arrows and labels - Place just enough arrows and labels so that the information is easy to grasp for the reader.
Bonus tip: Define a hierarchy of your arrow flows. Think of them like a main highway with multiple side roads.

Alignment - Keep similar elements aligned throughout the figure. This helps with comparing and contrasting.
Bonus tip: Use guidelines (vertically and horizontally) for facilitated alignment and padding.

Check out our Designing graphical abstract webinar to see these tips in action! [Here are some useful timestamps so you can quickly jump to the sections you're interested in: layout and story flow (9:19), color (16:16), arrows and text (27:47), alignment and spacing(29:44).]

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What are common graphical abstract design mistakes?

When it comes to designing any type of science figure, it's important to focus on clarity. The following are a few of the most common design mistakes that can make your figure appear crowded, confusing, and/or difficult to read:

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1) Low contrast or patterned backgrounds.

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2) Overlapping elements, especially arrows.

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3) Using too many colors (try limiting to 2-3).

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4) Drop shadows and word art.

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5) Unnecessary elements. Minimalism is better than crowdedness.

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Can BioRender help you create a graphical abstract?

Absolutely! You can design beautiful graphical abstracts in minutes with our library of over 10,000 scientifically-accurate icons and powerful design tools! Plus, in BioRender you'll find hundreds of pre-made, fully-editable templates so you can find inspiration and create your graphical abstracts even faster!

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