But one crucial element is often missing - how to make it truly visually appealing. Let’s explore why simplicity matters so much.
What's Functional Looks Good
What clearly communicates the takeaway of your work will automatically look well-designed.
Both abstracts on the left and right are kept simple and clear. While their graphics aren’t especially well-designed and some stylistic choices could be improved, the focus on the key takeaways of the work makes them visually attractive.
Therefore, stick to a coherent design – it ensures that you don’t distract your viewers’ eyes. For instance:
If you choose a modern, edgy design, do not include rounded arrows.
If you feature a minimalistic style, then do not include a colorful photograph instead of an icon.
Establish a color palette to avoid using too many colors.
When your “baseline” is coherent, it is also easier for you to highlight key factors.
The graphical abstract is a good example of icon choices that are neither visually appealing nor well-suited to the design. The simplistic design of the text elements does not match the 3D icons, and the 2D microscope is in stark contrast to the picture-like display of the carrots. Moreover, the arrows are inconsistent too. On the right, I have assembled a few examples of icons for “molecule” to demonstrate how different the styles can be.
Still, it also works the other way around. When it comes to the positioning of your elements, arrow types, or icons, make sure they are unambiguous.
In other words, don’t come up with a new kind of arrow or overly creative icon ideas.
In essence, what confuses will be detrimental to the judgment of your graphical abstract.
The Role of Minimalism
What sets good-looking graphical abstracts apart is that they tell you all you need to know – but they do so subtly.
Here, simplicity means minimalism because excessively strong contrasts are unpleasant to the eye.
We discussed size differences as a way to highlight contrasts.
This is an example from the BioRender webinar in which the very confusing layout on the left was improved in the version on the right. You can see how the aspects associated with numbers (e.g., “antigen heterogeneity”) are significantly larger than the text in the boxes or the cell labels, which makes the design look clumsy. However, even in the “improved” version, the T-cell receptor interaction is much smaller than any other element, causing you to almost gloss over it. The red circle does not really help; instead, it detracts from the scientific design. By reducing the size of the tumor mass and removing other receptors from the cell surface, more space could have been created to enlarge this element, thereby improving both the design and the readability.
The key is to use the smallest clearly noticeable size differences – everything else looks childish (literally).
What many poorly designed graphical abstracts miss is that all secondary aspects should be coherently sized, because anything that is out of order will immediately attract attention.
Another common mistake is choosing disharmonious colors.
I don’t think I need to say much - ferocious contrasts (and clumsy design) on the left and far too many colors (and features) on the right.
It’s fine to use contrasting colors such as red and blue, but the specific shades you choose can make a huge difference.
Keep It Low
Yes, it can often be helpful to add labels or, if necessary, even several bullet points to drive key messages home.
While the graphical abstract on the left is obviously very reductionistic, the idea of listing the enzyme and factors gives you a clear understanding of what changes (at least if you work in the field). On the right, I really like the idea of the panels at the bottom if you need a clear yet simple way of communicating.
Basics first: ensure a coherent style in terms of font, size, and color.
Then it’s about positioning. Choose clear labels, or distinguish text by using separator lines or boxes.
While text can be a viable shortcut, it doesn’t really contribute to outstanding looks. Therefore, try to visualize.
Instead of writing that your treatment increases the number of lymphocytes, increase the count of icons.
The graphical abstract on the right is very interesting because it leverages the idea of visualizing numerical changes. However, adding a legend already hints at a shortcoming, which becomes especially apparent with the amyloid precursor protein. Your reader should intuitively understand what is being displayed. Secondly, it is obvious that certain elements have simply been copy-pasted. Pro tip: rotate them or slightly adjust their width to create a more natural appearance - it sounds simple, but it does wonders. For the example on the right, we find the label “cancer cell death”, but the apoptotic bodies and dissolving mass already communicate this very effectively.
When one of your conditions is associated with inflammation, a red hue can communicate this immediately.
Still, it’s about minimalism: do not use too many of these visuals; otherwise, they will distract the eye with too many details.
Subtle but Powerful Designs
Framing with visuals is perfect for subtly helping your reader localize your work within the field.
Adding elements such as cell walls, organelles, or even icons representing the environment or organism studied can quickly deliver information visually.
I really like this graphical abstract because it is clear, uses calm colors, and gives you a good idea of what the work is about without having to read the title. Of course, there are a few aspects that could be improved, such as the color choice for the cholesterol, but overall these do not detract significantly from the design.
Just make sure the size, color, and positioning do not distract from your main message.
Often, dull designs lack exactly these smart choices.
Using shadows or letting your arrows fade out are fantastic elements that add a sense of artistic adeptness.
Arrows are generally not the best choice for labels. Instead of using solid lines, you could let them end in a small oval to create a cleaner and more integrated look. Two additional nuances to pay attention to are the distance between the label and the corresponding shape/item as well as the choice of font, which should, ideally, match the design style of the icon.
What differentiates professional-looking styles is often:
Minimalistic and modern styles
The use of muted colors
Keeping enough empty space
Align edges consistently (often along grid axes)
Leveraging small details like borders or outlines
3 Personal Tips
Carefully study good designs; you will notice the subtle nuances.
Keep a library of amazing designs (pictures, advertisements, websites, and graphical abstracts) that inspire you when you are unsure which font or design to choose.
To give your work the final touch, let your subconscious guide you. It’s often more of a general feeling that something “doesn’t” look right rather than knowing exactly what you need to change.
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