Adobe Illustrator - scientific artwork & infographics 2026

Course description & general information
This training will teach you the tools of Adobe Illustrator needed to create beautiful & functional icons/vector graphics/illustrations. . It's a beginner-friendly course that moves at a fast pace, taking you from the fundamentals of Adobe Illustrator to an advanced level in just four weeks. No previous Illustrator experience is required. We will start with the basics and quickly move on to infographic design.

Course dates:
13 April & 20 April from 9.30 am to 14.30 pm (5 hours) ONLINE
4 May from 9.30 am to 14.30 pm (5 hours) ONLINE
11 May from 10.30 AM to 14.30 pm (4 hours) FACE-TO-FACE
Location: VMC Building, room 2.04 - Utrecht (11 May)
Language: English
Study hours: We recommend at least 25-30 hours of study and practice
The costs for this workshop are € 350,= per person.

Learning objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Draw clear, effective icons and build well-structured infographics.
• Design clear scientific artwork.
• Apply the principles of good design (color, typography, composition) to guide your audience through a clear visual journey.
• Produce professional-quality figures, graphical abstracts, and posters for your research, making your work more impactful and memorable.

Instructional method

• Sessions 1-2: Master the tools of Adobe Illustrator with hands-on practice and get a better understanding of the program.
• Sessions 3-4: Focus on design principles. Learn to create custom icons and identify common design flaws to elevate your work.
• Bring your own project: You are strongly encouraged to bring your own work (like a figure, a graphical abstract, a poster) to apply the skills you learn directly to your personal projects.
• After the Course: You’ll be able to produce professional-quality figures, graphical abstracts, or posters, making your research more impactful. As a bonus, you can even reach out to Iliana for further feedback on your work after the course ends!
• You will receive a comprehensive manual and additional material. Homework will be assigned after each session with personalized feedback from your instructor, Iliana.

Additional important information

• Software: You need a computer with Adobe Illustrator installed in English. You must uninstall the program to adjust the language setting in Creative Cloud, and then reinstall it. For installation issues, please contact your faculty's ICT department.
• Equipment: A second screen and a mouse are highly recommended. A microphone and camera are mandatory for interactive sessions.
• Study Load: In addition to the scheduled sessions, anticipate an extra study load of approximately 20 hours, consisting primarily of homework assignments.
• Contact: If you plan to miss parts of the course, please contact Iliana directly to discuss options.

TRAINER

Iliana Boshoven-Gkini, is a visual communicator who merges her passion for design with her love of nature. Her unique background is a perfect blend of science and art: she holds a BSc in Plant Sciences and two MSc degrees in Landscape Architecture & Floriculture. She is also an accomplished artist and has been an Adobe Certified Instructor since 2021. Iliana founded AgileColor design studio (www.AgileColor.com) in 2012, specializing in scientific visual communication and publications such as thesis books. For more than a decade, she's been teaching design courses at various universities and research institutes, empowering students to turn their complex research into clear, visually engaging content.

Group size: 10 participants

This training is only for ARC CBBC PhD's or Postdocs