Graphic design is a broad discipline of organising visual communication in a meaningful, accessible and engaging way. As many fields of scientific activity have become increasingly reliant on visual information, many scientists may find it beneficial to acquire a better understanding of the diverse means of visual explanation, narration and enquiry in order to communicate one’s research more efficiently and effectively.

In this interdisciplinary tutorial the students will learn the basics of good graphic design practice necessary to create legible, clear and engaging scientific/data visualisations that make an impact. Through a series of lectures, hands-on exercises and practical demonstrations the students will become familiar with those visual structures, methods and software tools, which will be most useful in communicating their own scientific work. Following a sketching activity (quick prototyping of design ideas) and a group crit, students will learn how to apply their new design skills when working with popular office software (Microsoft Office).