Scientific Visual Design

The Scientific Visual Design Handbook and Workbook offer a theoretical as well as a practical introduction to the basics of visual communication for scientific graphics and visualisations. In a concise format, the project aims to help scientists with the creation of their visuals. With Atomic Design for scientific graphics, the first chapter of the Handbook begins with a clear overview of the toolbox of visual components and important design basics. Based on the Atomic Design approach for web design – rethought and adapted for scientific visualisations.

The overarching “Design Thinking for Scientific Graphics” maps an exemplary conceptual design process that scientists can follow for the creation of their graphics. This design thinking process is made up of five stages, each represented with an illustration for the chapter openings.

The type selection for this task had to be clear and professional, yet friendly and engaging. Guiding through the complex contents, the main head- and sublines, as well as a handful of small texts and all figures, are all set exclusively in MD System (Version 2), a typeface family by Mass Driver. The main body text is set in Skolar by Rosetta, complemented by MD IO (also by Mass Driver) for small accents like figure numbers, author information or step indicators.

This project was made as a Master’s thesis at HS Mainz.