Building a skill for coherent science illustrations

I’ve always been fascinated by the aesthetic of the scientific illustrations commonly found in academic research papers, especially journals like Nature and Cell. So I recently developed a Codex skill that can replicate that kind of visual language. This is the github repo if you’d like to try it out.

Here are a few examples:

Generate one clean scientific illustration suitable for a research paper or review article. Purpose: Conceptual microbiology mechanism schematic. Scientific subject: Bacterial biofilm formation on a surface and antibiotic tolerance. Core message: Biofilm structure creates protected microenvironments that reduce antibiotic access and support tolerant bacterial subpopulations.

Create a clean physics/engineering concept figure: A photonic chip routes light through tunable waveguides, allowing optical signals to be switched between output channels.

Create a research-paper-style geology schematic: Fractured basalt improves subsurface fluid circulation by increasing connected flow pathways while exposing more reactive mineral surfaces for water-rock interaction. Show a two-panel comparison: massive basalt vs fractured basalt. Use simplified rock cross-sections, blue arrows for fluid flow, highlighted reactive surfaces along fractures, and a plain text outcome callout: Enhanced fluid circulation. Keep the style clean, journal-like, white background, muted gray/blue/orange palette, Arial/Helvetica-like labels, and avoid fake maps, seismic sections, microscope images, spectra, mineral formulas, or numerical permeability claims. Labels to include: A Massive basalt B Fractured basalt limited flow path connected flow path

Generate one clean scientific illustration suitable for a research paper or review article. Purpose: Conceptual microbiology mechanism schematic. Scientific subject: Gut epithelial barrier interaction with commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Core message: A healthy mucus and epithelial barrier spatially separates most microbes from host tissue, while barrier disruption allows closer bacterial contact and inflammatory signaling.

The objective was to create the specific style of scientific illustration commonly found in high-prestige journals like Nature, Cell, and others.

I wanted the outputs to be coherent and consistent across different examples, without introducing confusion or scientific errors. Consistency is key, right?

I drew inspiration from a design skill created by a Chinese creator named Xiaohei. He demonstrated a well-structured approach to creating a skill for image generation using Codex. Since Codex has native image generation capabilities, the skill can generate images on the fly.

While exploring Xiaohei’s skill, I noticed a few useful formats. First, he has a markdown file for DNA that outlines the essential elements that need to be captured and preserved during image generation. It also provides a prompt template that asks for any gaps or details that need further elaboration, enabling the skill to generate more accurate and comprehensive images.

I just fed this skill skeleton to ensure that I could adapt these best practises to make this happen.