Thinking of a proposal as a visual presentation will lead to a competitive advantage!
Federal Agencies:
- ±·±õ±áÌýÌý
- NIH Ìý
- CDC Ìý
- CDC Ìý
- AHRQ Ìý
- Usability.gov Ìý
- US ED Ìý
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(Go to the site above for access to these resources)
| Purpose |
Windows Software |
Macintosh Software |
|
Vector graphics and illustration |
Adobe Illustrator* | Adobe Illustrator* |
| Page design and layout | Adobe InDesign |
Adobe InDesign |
| Advanced digital photo editing and graphics | Adobe Photoshop* | Adobe Photoshop * |
| Geographic information systems and mapping | ArcGIS Desktop | See IT website |
| Statistical analysis and graphing | JMP 11 | JMP 11 |
| Mathematics and computation system, modeling, programming | MATLAB | MATLAB |
| Computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE) | SOLIDWORKS | N/A |
| Statistical analysis and graphing | SPSS Statistics | SPSS Statistics |
*Note re: Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop:
Both programs make high quality figures at appropriate resolution for publication but the learning curve for both of these programs is steep. However, training is available through on the Internet, or in places like LinkedIn learning.
BioRender has a ton of templates and icons to make scientific figures. The interface is online, and it works very similarly to PowerPoint, so the learning curve isn’t very high for someone familiar with PowerPoint. Figures export at resolutions appropriate for publication, and they will give you a publication license. They also have resources and recorded webinars with tips on how to make the best figures for manuscripts, grants, etc.
A great resource for simpler figures (charts, diagrams, etc.) or even inspiration on where to start, Canva has are free and premium tiers, but you can do a lot with the free tier. This platform is good for social media graphics and if something at a high resolution isn't need. It’s quick and easy to learn.
Datawrapper makes clean bar and linecharts that can be easily uploaded into a web newsletter. They have free and paid tiers, but you can do quite a bit with the free tier. The learning curve is moderate.
Powerpoint
While figures made with BioRender may look better, there’s nothing wrong with using Powerpoint; plus, many people already know how to use it. It's an excellent tool for editing figures made on another platform.
Here are some resources to help with making graphics readable for those with color blindness:
Scroll past the references to find simulators
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Online courses to learn data visualization principles and software how-tos
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Graphic Designers Recommended by Research Development Professionals
(Listed alphabetically)
-- Cheryl McCutchan
-- Ella Marushchenko
Ìý -- Emily Creasy
t -- Mary O'Reilly
-- Dave O’Gara
- Curtis Sayers
