How to make scientific TOC more attractive?

A graphical abstract, often known as a Table of Contents (TOC), visualizes a scientific paper’s primary results or significant points. Usually, a TOC highlight the most essential components of the research. This lets readers immediately comprehend the important findings of the scientific paper without having to study the entire document, allowing them to evaluate whether or not the piece is of interest and what they can learn from it. In this article, we discuss how to make scientific TOC more attractive.

10 design tips to make scientific TOC more attractive

Converting research findings into a visual overview is not always straightforward. If you want to develop something that is visually appealing, easy to comprehend, and correct, you must first know some basic design concepts. This post contains 10 design tips to make scientific TOC:

1) Select a suitable color palette

Selecting a suitable color palette is a critical step in creating TOCs, and this work is not always simple. Knowing color theory can help you realize which colors go well together and which go better with your tale.

2) Ensure that the colors have appropriate contrast

Contrast is another crucial factor when coloring the TOCs. Using vibrant colors for the critical information in the visual abstracts effectively accentuates essential topics. On the other hand, it is preferable to use neutral or subdued colors for less essential pieces and the backdrop.

3) Know the meanings of colors

Some elements are commonly shown with a specific hue; thus, portray them as people anticipate to avoid confusion. Uniform color choices also shorten the time required to comprehend the graphic.

A professional TOC created by Inmywork team | ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2023, 6, 10, 5536–5547

4) Organize the information appropriately

The material in your TOC must be grouped rationally. Developing a reading sequence that leads readers through the tale is critical. You may organize the material of your visual abstract using a variety of layouts. Try to choose the one that best matches your scientific tale.

5) Align all components to make scientific TOC

Properly aligning the elements makes the visual summaries look clean and organized.

6) Play with closeness and white space

Playing with closeness and white space may also assist in transforming a difficult-to-follow and confusing illustration into an understandable one. Closeness refers to grouping elements that are comparable or connected to one another. Boxes and circles are occasionally used to group things but are typically unnecessary. White space is also essential for highlighting the link between the pieces. White refers to the portions of your visual abstract that have no material. Always leave adequate white space around the margins of your illustrations.

7) Utilize various arrows for various purposes

You may play with the appearance of lines and arrows in the visual illustrations to give them multiple meanings.

8) Utilize minimum text

Keep your text to a minimum. Remember that the graphical abstract aims to tell a scientific tale visually.

9) Create a hierarchy to assist readers

Hierarchy is the process of adjusting the design features of the various elements to assist readers in navigating scientific research. It demonstrates which information is more significant by applying varying levels of focus. In this regard, identify and highlight the critical points of the visual illustrations. You can play with size, color, or bold to highlight significant objects.

10) Stay constant along your visual illustration

Maintaining a similar appearance and feel across your TOC simplifies reading. Combining several drawing techniques generates noise and makes the TOC appear amateurish.

Ordering professional TOCS

If graphic design isn’t your thing and you’d rather focus on your research topic, we can assist! The Inmywork team has a lot of experience in scientific TOC illustration. By the way, you can keep in touch with the team for editing several times. The process of delivery time of TOCs depends on the complexity of the project.  Your project will be done as soon as possible.