beautiful figure in your paper

Your science is beautiful, or at least, deserves a beautiful figure.

In modern academia, beautiful eye-pleasing figures are vital. Why? Don’t you think if your data are good, they should be appreciated as well? Your professor might say that a journal editor’s impression will be changed or the reviewers of your papers, so if your paper’s figures are stunning, the acceptance rate will be higher. I won’t deny it, but don’t you think it sounds a little too worldly and superficial?

I reframe this matter as a contribution to the field. The published papers will be read by people in the field, but possibly people outside the field as well—or maybe by high school students who are looking for a subject to study in college. We all love what we do and are proud to contribute to piled-up knowledge, but if you go one step farther, reaching out to people outside the field is also good way to contribute the research field. Nice art and beautiful data are good tools because we all have an aesthetic sense. Now don’t you think it might be worth taking the time? Today, even if people don’t understand what “nano” is, they like to buy expensive cosmetic lotion containing called some weird thing decorated with a cool scientific term like “nanowater.” If more people get interested in real science and pay more respect to fundamental research, don’t you think the world will be a little more interesting?

Very notorious fake science. Sigh...

When making beautiful figures, I usually take the following steps:

(i)    Find your favorite figures or cartoons using Google Image analysis or from published articles from the field.

(ii)   Determine the layout and design of your figures.

The step is important. If you start with the best, it is much easier to make a better one than making something from scratch. Choosing a good starting point is important.

(iii)           Determine the panel contents.

(iv)           Start creating. Check the color coordination and design balance.

Customize your figures by putting your data, contents, claims, and adjusting color coordination and design balance. This topic will be further discussed in the next post.

(v)            Be consistent for all formats.

(vi)           Revise, revise, revise!

As previously shown, be consistent for all formats such as font size, font, line width, space, and locations in all elements in the panels. Revise and refine—a lot!

 

Google image search is useful.  You can determine what design you want in your presentation, and use it as your starting point. 

Good luck on your arty figure-making!

Five Rules for Font Choice, Background Choice, Color Choice in Your Presentation Slides

Black and white gives a formal impression 

When you wear black and white, you give an impression of being "formal", color coordination conveys a meaning.  

If you want to give a nice research presentation at a research conference or a nice impression at a job interview, you probably better wear a neat suit because what you wear conveys the information that you are serious.

Although people would not judge by your appearance in an ideal world, people also get used to the norm in the current world.  Basically, communication is for your conversation partner, not for you, so you better get along with what people get used to for smoother communication.

   

Here are a few detailed format rules for PowerPoint presentations.  Each small detail conveys some information even if you are intended to do so or not.  You better know it and design your powerpoint slide along with your intention:

It might be difficult to give a serious presentation with this tuxedo! You can buy this here for your next conference!

(1) How Many Colors Will Be Needed?

Usually, you want to choose three colors. The first one is the base, which is for the background. The second is the main, which could be a text color or figure color. The last is the emphasis. You also want to balance btw causality and classic. A monotone presentation might be too classic, but using too many colors is messy.

(2) Black or White Background?

You can use both, but the base color must be consistent, i.e., white background figures in a black background slide are not consistent. Usually, in the powerpoint, the main color will be the opposite color of the base color, e.g., black will be the main color in a white background, and you will use black in the text.

It is always better not to use a different color in the background. The purpose of the presentation is to communicate through your research, not let your audience know your favorite color. For the same reason, slide transition most likely becomes nothing but only distraction. My point is you don’t try to get extra scores with cheap, superficial techniques.

Simply no to a slide transition for research presentation. But if you want to know it more,  you can learn it in here

(3) Which Font Will Be Used?

The rules for choosing a font are (1) it has to be consistent throughout your slides and (2) when you use a black background, a sans type of font must be chosen (e.g., Helvetica), not a serif type of font (e.g., Times Roman).

If you are lazy, there is a shortcut to having a consistent font throughout your powerpoint slide.

https://www.lifewire.com/replace-fonts-in-presentation-at-once-2767331

In the projected image, the thin line in serif could be smeared out when you use a black background. You can learn about font choice more in here 

(4) What Will Be the Emphasis Color?

Choose one vivid color as the emphasis color in the background (such as red in white). Consult with a color circle to decide the color.

(5) Use the Emphasis Color Where You Want to Emphasize

A third color will attract people’s attention. Use this color to create emphasis.

Good luck on your presentation with fancy details!