Graphical storytelling: designing publication-ready figures for your research

This workshop introduces researchers to the principles of graphical storytelling and shows how to create figures that are clear, purposeful, and publication ready. It covers how to think about the role of a figure in a paper or presentation, how to plan a visual before opening any software, and how to improve the clarity and appearance of plots, workflow diagrams, and methods images. The session also provides an overview of useful plotting and design tools, along with practical tips for choosing layouts, colours, fonts, and visual elements that strengthen communication.

Good figures matter because they do more than display information. They help readers understand methods, follow workflows, and interpret results with less effort. A well-designed figure can make research more accessible, more professional, and more memorable.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a simple framework for designing better figures, a clearer sense of which tools are useful…