Communicating scientific concepts and data effectively is a fundamental aspect of science. Scientific presentations are essential tools for sharing research, yet they are often not designed intentionally. Building and sharing scientific presentations is a skill that scientists develop throughout their careers, however, we rarely wield the same tools and concepts. Effective scientific presentations allow the audience to be invested and comprehend them without much effort. Basic design principles dictate the use of a consistent font, a cohesive color palette, simple graphics, functional slide design, etc. Applying these principles during the development of presentations can aid in the visual storytelling key to a presentation. Through my time in academia, I’ve employed basic design principles in scientific presentations of different formats to understand what adds to the story and what does not. Developing a presentation can begin with understanding the narrative and the audience and then employing design principles to resonate with the audience. This process often involves asking what key elements would add to the story, simplifying complex data visualization, and emphasizing important concepts through a visual hierarchy. I aim to demonstrate the power of using basic design principles in scientific presentations. By enhancing the audience’s understanding of scientific concepts through effective visual communication, we can elevate the impact of scientific research and facilitate better scientific communication.
Narrative is key!
You had a hypothesis, did the experiments and now you have the data! But what is the story? Based on how much time you have, you might have to alter the narrative. Give yourself enough time to introduce the background, put forward the central question,
A solid narrative can be helpful to:
- Structure the presentation
- Introduce the story effectively
- Share data that will support your claims
Tailor it to your audience
Knowing your audience can guide what to keep and what to remove from the presentation.
Points of consideration:
- How much background is needed to communicate effectively?
- How detailed should the data be?
- Should you spend time introducing new concepts?
Define the key elements
Based on the narrative, spend some time defining the key elements. These will be the ‘main characters’ or the ‘hero’ of the story. Such elements can be what you study, like genes, proteins, or even the central data you’re discussing! This helps root the narrative. Making simple graphics that represent the key elements and using them throughout the presentation can help the audience follow along easily.
Make a skeleton presentation
Based on the narrative, make an outline of what you want in your slides/poster. This bare-bones presentation will serve as a great starting point. Start with a very basic/rough presentation. Having starting material can help overcome writer’s block!
Simplify complex concepts and data
Your audience is looking at this information for the first time! It takes effort to understand and think about novel concepts. Aim to make this process as simple as possible. Simplify complex concepts, spend time introducing them and redesign publication-style figures to make them more digestible. Keep text in the slide minimal. Add key takeaways as slide titles.
Utilize Functional Slide Design
For each slide, think about what the key takeaway is. Then, apply design principles to effectively communicate the takeaway.
- Visual hierarchy in the slide helps the audience focus.
- Use a cohesive color palette, to allow the audience to follow along easily.
- Use simple graphics to explain mechanisms or experiments.
Refine after feedback
The best way to improve your presentation is through practicing and presenting. You get a better feel of the flow, notice where the transitions need improvement and get constructive criticism. This process takes time, and that’s okay!
Downloadable infographic:
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Leveraging Basic Design Principles to Improve Scientific Presentations © 2023 by Ananya Nidamangala Srinivasa is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Additional resources:
On accessible color palettes: http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/colorblind/palettes.mhtml#24-color-palette-for-colorbliness
Basic design principles: https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/8-basic-design-principles-to-help-you-create-better-graphics
On effective poster design: https://www.echorivera.com/blog/better-posters-recommendation
On crafting a compelling scientific story: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03603-2
Tips for presenting a great talk: https://www.science.org/content/article/three-tips-giving-great-research-talk
Ananya Nidamangala Srinivasa 