How to Design Effective Figures

Marco Rolandi, Karen Cheng, and Sarah Pérez-Kriz—all three professors at the University of Washington, Seattle—wrote a great essay titled "How to Design Effective Figures". Here are the main points:

1. Design figures for your audience (Not for you)
2. Focus on the most important information
3. Design a clear visual structure
4. Use visual contrast, but keep figures simple
5. Create legible and readable typography

The essay contains clear descriptions and exemplary figures for each point they make, and includes references to further resources.