Reviewers typically do not want to read pages and pages of solid text. Visuals like graphical summaries, timelines, and flow charts can be great tools to draw a reader's attention, demonstrate your project vision, and provide a much-needed visual break in the text. If you’re thinking of creating a graphic for your next grant proposal, here are some tips to get you started. 

Tips for effective figures 

While it is tempting to get carried away with elaborate diagrams and colors, the goal is to present your ideas in a clear and easily understood way. To achieve this, here are some tips: 

1. Choose the right figure. While graphics are most commonly used to display data, there are many other ways that visuals can enhance a grant proposal. Gantt charts, graphical abstracts, and Venn diagrams, for example, are a few ways to effectively display qualitative information about your project objectives, activities, and outcomes. 
2. Make sure your figure tells a clear story. Ideas are usually easier to understand if they flow logically (e.g. left to right, top to bottom), and being consistent in color choice and sizing/styling elements both maximize ease of understanding. 
3. Remove or adjust distracting elements. Default settings for figure design in common software programs often include unnecessary elements. By removing extra gridlines and excessive labels from a graph, the important components become more apparent. 
4. Ensure your color palette adds rather than distracts from the story you want to tell. While vibrant colors are tempting, not everyone sees color the same way, and others may print out papers in grayscale, so choose colors with enough contrast to work for anyone. Also, using more subtle colors for less critical elements and stronger colors for important ones will draw your reader’s eye to what is key. 
5. Check agency guidelines for acceptable visual medium, size/shape constraints, color constraints, file constraints, etc. Funding agencies may require some graphics and not accept others. Be sure to check if there are any restrictions and requirements. 
6. Ask for help! Remember that it is key that your graphics are getting your point across to your intended audience, so have people look at it along with the text before sending it off! 

Bottom line 

When it comes to creating strong graphics, you want to make sure to focus on clarity rather than beauty. The goal is to create a visual that enhances rather than detracts from your proposal, one that eases reader fatigue while reinforcing your key ideas. For more details of good figure design and presentation, be sure to check out our Grantsmanship Learning Lab modules on graphics, layout, and formatting. https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/940470