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Category: Conceptual illustrations

Conceptual illustrations in science are “freehand” drawings to portray certain concepts qualitatively. Instead of directly representing data, they are visualising the current knowledge.

Perceptually-uniform colour gradients

Accurate colour scales for data visualisation have a constant local colour contrast between neighbouring colour values along the individual gradients.

Accurate colour scales for data visualisation have a constant local colour contrast between neighbouring colour values along the individual gradients. The open-access Scientific colour maps (Crameri, 2018) are perceptually-uniform and also colour-blind friendly colour gradients that are suitable for mapping data with colour in any type of science graph.

  • Vector-format version
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  • Light & dark background versions
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
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Geologic time scale (spiral)

The geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral featuring major events in Earth history, and the evolution of life.

The geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral featuring major events, and the evolution of life. Key events in Earth’s history marked on the diagram include major extinction events, global scale glaciations, the initiation of permanent atmospheric oxygen, the formation of the moon, and the formation of Earth’s magnetic field. The outer spiral arcs show components of the evolution of life on Earth.

This version is provided in fully accessible versions using the Scientific colour maps ‘batlow‘ and ‘glasgow‘ and, also, in the traditional International Commission on Stratigraphy colour scheme. Please note when using the latter colour scheme versions, you exclude some readers with colour-vision deficiencies.

  • Alternative colour schemes
  • Transparent background
  • Vector format versions
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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History of the Universe

Schematic illustration of the history and evolution of the universe—from the Big Bang 13.8 Billion years ago to present day—based on our current knowledge and the ground-breaking new insights provided by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Schematic illustration of the history and evolution of the universe—from the Big Bang 13.8 Billion years ago to present day—based on our current knowledge and the ground-breaking new insights provided by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Graphically represented are the Big Bang, the Cosmic Inflation, the Dark Ages, the first galaxies, stars and black holes, the Hydrogen reionisation, and the JWST amongst present-day style galaxies within an ever expanding playground called universe. 

The illustration was developed during the breakthrough workshop ‘The Chronology of the Very Early Universe According to JWST: The First Billion Years‘ at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in Bern, Switzerland.

  • Variable graphical formats
  • Variable content versions
  • Digital and print-ready versions
  • Readable on light & dark backgrounds
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Scientific colour map demonstration

A photograph of Marie Skłodowska-Curie, the Earth from space, and an apple demonstrate the superiority of scientific colour maps.

A photograph of Marie Skłodowska-Curie (by Henri Manuel around 1920), the Earth from space, and an apple demonstrate the superiority of scientific colour maps as they are shown a in their original form (middle) and in distorted (left) and in undistorted (right) colour versions. Inferring the true picture from an unscientifically (e.g., jet) coloured data set is incomparably harder than from a data set represented in a perceptually uniform and ordered colour map, like batlow. By knowing what something looks like in advance, the distortion by unscientific colour maps, like jet or rainbow, becomes instantly obvious. The look of scientific data is, however, usually unknown a priori, which makes the distortion of an unscientific colour map, and the true data representation of a scientifically derived colour map, like batlow, less apparent, but not less significant. Figure originally published in Crameri et al. (2020).

  • Print-ready format
  • Transparent background
  • Light & dark background versions
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
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The scientific method

Visualisation depicting the fundamental steps of the scientific method, an indispensable framework for cultivating and sustaining a robust community-level comprehension of scientific phenomena.

Visualisation depicting the fundamental steps of the scientific method, an indispensable framework for cultivating and sustaining a robust community-level comprehension of scientific phenomena. Mastery of data analysis is essential for effective research, involving critical questions such as ‘What are we investigating?’ ‘How do we experimentally validate our hypotheses?’ ‘Can results be confidently confirmed?’ and ‘What additional information is needed for robust conclusions?’ The scientific proficiency extends to adeptly presenting research outcomes in a lucid and concise manner, encompassing both positive and negative findings. In an era where misinformation poses a genuine threat, the foundational principles of critical thinking inherent in the scientific method play a pivotal role in appreciating, sharing, and safeguarding knowledge.

The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent individual graphic elements to all readers.

  • Animated version
  • Individual frames
  • Printable (vector format & CMYK) version
  • Suitable for light & dark backgrounds
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Syncline and anticline

In structural geology, a syncline is a fold with younger rock layers closer to the center of the structure, whereas an anticline is the inverse of a syncline.

In structural geology, a syncline is a fold with younger rock layers closer to the center of the structure, whereas an anticline is the inverse of a syncline. Illustrated are a folded sequence of rock layers, being old at the bottom and young at the top forming a syncline and two anticlines with corresponding axes (or here rather axial planes) marking their centers.

  • Transparent background
  • Dark-background version
  • Vectorformat version
  • Perceptually uniform colour map
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Rock cycle

The cycle of rocks as it was presented by James Hutton already 200 years ago.

The cycle of rocks as it was presented by James Hutton already 200 years ago. Rocks that are exposed to weathering and erosion, deposit as sediments, which are then covered by more sediments. This process leads to compaction and cementation, which forms sedimentary rocks. After being buried deeply, rock undergo metamorphosis or melting, or both. Later, rocks are uplifted to the surface, while being deformed or crystallised. After they become exposed to weathering, the rock cycle starts all over.

The typeface ‘Elle’ by Lucía Pérez Díaz is used.

  • German version / Deutsche Version
  • Vector-format version
  • Transparent background version
  • Dark-background version
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Dinosaur looking up the sky comic

Comic sketch illustrating the ambiguous statement: “Dinosaur looking up the sky.”.

Comic sketch illustrating the ambiguous statement: “Dinosaur looking up the sky.”. Unambiguous phrasing of scientific content is critical for effective science communication as outlined in detail in Crameri (2018).

  • Vector-format version
  • Transparent background version
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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Climate change tipping points

Potential climate tipping points where rising global atmospheric temperatures could cause irreversible change to the Earth system.

Potential climate tipping points where rising global atmospheric temperatures could cause irreversible change to the Earth system. Irreversible ice sheet melting (such as on Greenland and Antarctica) is one example of a climate chance tipping point and would cause a significant sea level rise on the order of ten meters. Permafrost loss would cause an abrupt release of Greenhouse gases (methane and CO2), which amplifies global warming. Breakdown of the Atlantic thermohaline ocean circulation, known as Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), would cause regional cooling. A shift in Boreal forest would equal a significant ecological change and regional warming, whereas an Amazon rainforest dieback causes biodiversity loss and decreased rainfall. Changes in monsoon could lead to drought. A Coral reef die-off is a significant ecological change. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could reach a permanent El Niño state, which would cause both more floods and droughts.

  • Creator: Fabio Crameri
  • This version: 21.08.2023
  • License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri based on Lenton et al. (2019) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
  • Related reference: Lenton, T. M., Rockström, J., Gaffney, O., Rahmstorf, S., Richardson, K., Steffen, W., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2019). Climate tipping points—too risky to bet against. Nature, 575(7784), 592-595.
  • Vector-format versions
  • Compatible with light & dark background
  • Colour-vision deficiency friendly
  • Readable in black&white
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