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The Problem Every Researcher Knows Too Well

The Problem Every Researcher Knows Too Well

If you've ever worked in academia or research, you know this pain:

You've spent months on groundbreaking research. Your data is solid. Your methodology is bulletproof. But now you need to create figures for your paper, and suddenly you're spending 2 weeks wrestling with illustration software.

  • PowerPoint? Too basic, looks unprofessional
  • Adobe Illustrator? Steep learning curve, expensive
  • BioRender? $500+/year, still limited templates
  • Hiring a designer? $200-400 per figure

I watched my PhD friends struggle with this for years. One of them literally delayed her thesis defense because she couldn't get her figures right.

So I built SciDraw - an AI-powered scientific illustration generator.

What Does It Actually Do?

SciDraw takes your text description or rough sketch and transforms it into publication-ready scientific illustrations in seconds.

Three AI Modes:

  1. Text-to-Image: Describe what you need → AI generates it 
   Input: "A diagram showing CRISPR-Cas9 editing a DNA sequence, 
          with the guide RNA highlighted in blue"
   Output: Journal-quality illustration ready for Nature
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  1. Sketch-to-Image: Upload your napkin drawing → AI makes it professional

  2. Edit Mode: Multi-round conversation to refine until perfect

The Feature Researchers Actually Asked For: SVG Export

Here's what makes SciDraw different from generic AI image generators:

Editable SVG vector output.

Why does this matter? Because journals have specific requirements:

  • Font sizes need adjustment
  • Colors must match your paper's scheme
  • Labels need to be in your language
  • Last-minute changes from reviewer #2 😅

With SVG export, you can open the file in Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, or even PowerPoint and edit everything - text, colors, positions.

No more "can you move that label 2 pixels to the left" 
back-and-forth with designers.
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Quick Demo

Input prompt:

"A cell signaling pathway showing receptor activation,
second messenger cascade, and nuclear transcription response.
Flat illustration style with a blue and orange color scheme."

Output: A publication-ready pathway diagram in ~30 seconds.

Tech Stack (for the curious devs)

  • Frontend: Next.js + React
  • AI: Custom fine-tuned models for scientific domains
  • Vector Processing: Custom SVG generation pipeline
  • Hosting: Vercel + Cloudflare R2

The Numbers So Far

  • 10,000+ researchers using it
  • Users at Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Oxford, ETH Zurich
  • Average time saved: 90% compared to traditional methods

Try It Free

I wanted to make this accessible to broke PhD students (been there), so:

  • 10 free credits on signup
  • 5 free credits every day
  • No credit card required

👉 https://sci-draw.com

What's Next?

Currently working on:

  • [ ] More scientific templates (chemistry, physics, medical)
  • [ ] Batch generation for multiple figures
  • [ ] Direct integration with Overleaf/LaTeX
  • [ ] API for programmatic generation

Feedback Welcome!

If you're a researcher (or know one), I'd love to hear:

  • What types of figures do you struggle with most?
  • Any features that would make your life easier?

Drop a comment or reach out. Every feature we've built came from user feedback.

If this helps even one researcher spend less time on figures and more time on actual science, I'll consider it a win. 🔬

Try SciDraw Free →

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