Graphic Design for Scientists

Program of the Workshop

Graphic design is increasingly important to scientists. A nicely presented graphic can make detailed information easier to understand, or more appealing. Or simply provide a ‘way in’ for a different audience.

Join Graphic Designer Neil Smith for this 1.5 day course and learn more about how to visually present your science, from simple graphs and schematics to graphic abstracts and posters.

You will have an introduction to graphic design and learn simple tips to improve your figures, with examples of good (and bad) presented.

You will also recieve an introduction to Adobe Illustrator, the industry standard software used to design figures at the top publishing houses. Neil will be on hand to provide guidance and

feedback on your existing and current work in this informal workshop. Time will also be made for one-to-one help.

Day 1

Welcome talk: creating better figures
Preparing a figure for publication: looking through your figures
Adobe Illustrator/Affinity talk and demonstration
Adobe Illustrator introductory software training
Task: using your new found skills to ‘fix’ some figures

Day 2

Welcome and a theory recap
Adobe Illustrator recap and training
Designing better posters talk and analysis
Personal branding chat and excercise; one-to-one help in 15 minute slots

Please note that this workshop is limited to 12 participants!

The Trainer

Neil Smith trained at Elsevier Science before spending 5 years at Nature working as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer. Since then, he has been a freelancer, working for Nature, The Lancet, The MIT Press, Workman Publishing and many more. Neil has run annual Graphic Design for Science workshops at Edinburgh University and Imperial College London for the last 6 years.

Neil Smith (https://neilsmithillustration.co.uk)

Venue

This workshop will be conducted in an in-person format at the following location:
Chemiegebäude
Heinrich-Buff-Ring 17
D-35392 Gießen
Seminar Room A 127 (1^st floor)

Registration

Please register here by 13^th October 2026.