Learn how to think visually about your research

This course is only open for NDPIA full members.

When: 9th of May to 25th of August, 2023
Where: Online
Registration deadline: 8th of May
Course instructor: Andreas Dahlin, scientist and founder of Visualize Your Science
Link to the course webpage: https://www.visualizeyourscience.com/course-vys

Course summary

• Suggested ECTS credit: 4 ECTS (this must be discussed with your home university)
• Level: PhD-course or postdocs
• Language: English
• Software: Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer or equivalent

This course is designed for PhD students and postdocs who want to improve their skills in drawing images/figures for scientific posters, presentations, and publications. The course consists of tutorial videos, home assignments and four scheduled face-to-face feedback sessions online. Students progress from a beginner to an advanced level in visual rhetoric and in use of an illustration software of your choice. During the course, students produce a graphical abstract that describes their own research and a scientific poster using the principles of graphic design that they have learned. In addition, students practice analyzing and giving constructive feedback on visualization such as overview images, flowcharts, results graphs, posters, and graphical summaries from different research areas. Image ethics and copyright are also discussed.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

✔ describe and apply basic principles of graphical design by the use of colors, fonts and composition

✔ create audience-adapted images that attract attention, lead the viewer through a poster, and effectively communicate your message.

✔ describe and apply the basic principles of effective visual presentation of results

✔ use software for creating images

✔ describe how copyright works and use visual material produced by others within the scope of copyright rules and regulations.

How to register for the course

A limited number of spots for the autumn course (5) have been reserved for NDPIA students and postdocs. NDPIA pays tuition costs for each participant, except if a student registers and does not attend the course. In this exception, the supervisor will pay the registration fee. To ensure that supervisors are aware of this consequence, registration requires a letter signed by the student’s supervisor that states they are aware of the student’s participation in the course and the consequence if their student/postdoc does not attend the course. A form letter stating this information that requires a signature should be submitted on the letter of Support submission page linked in the registration form below.

View the letter of support to be signed by your supervisor here

Once you have a pdf of the letter signed by your supervisor, log in and register below. You will be notified by email of your acceptance into the course. If the spots have been filled you can still register but will be placed on the waiting list.

Contact hanna.eriksson@umu.se for questions.

Bookings