We produced five standalone factsheets that together map the patent landscape in academic research across China: one country-level overview and four focused sheets for Net Zero, Agriculture, Creative Technologies, and Healthy Living. Each factsheet condenses patent activity into a single-page narrative: high-level metrics (patent counts, top competitor countries), a short interpretive summary, some simple visuals (circle packing charts, bar and column charts), explaining notable research clusters. The country overview gives context — overall growth, geographic hotspots, and cross-sector themes — while each subject factsheet zooms into domain-specific patterns, technology subfields and growth areas, and emerging gaps that will likely matter to researchers, tech transfer officers, and policymakers in the future.

Design choices were driven by a single constraint: make the factsheets immediately usable. That meant pared-down language and two dominant visuals on each factsheet (i.e. no dense tables). Colour and layout are used to group information logically rather than to merely decorate, and a small number of key takeaways to summarise our findings.

We intentionally kept each factsheet bite-sized so it fits into an email, a slide, or a decision memo. Readers can use them in different ways: a quick executive scan to spot where investment is clustering, a conversation starter in collaboration meetings, or a checklist for further investigation (e.g., which countries or topic areas to concentrate on). The result is a compact, transparent suite of factsheets that balance rigor with clarity so stakeholders can grasp the Chinese academic patent landscape quickly and act on what they learn.

For the report on Chinese Innovation and Collaboration, a suite of simple yet effective charts and illustrations was created to communicate complex data clearly and accessibly. The focus was on using straightforward visual formats — primarily traditional bar and column charts — to present key comparisons and trends without overwhelming the reader. These charts highlight metrics such as research output, collaboration intensity, and innovation performance, offering quick visual insights into China’s position in the global innovation landscape. In addition to these, a single, cleanly designed map was developed to locate the top 26 institutes based on the Global Innovation Index, ranked by intensity. The map provides a spatial dimension to the data, allowing readers to see geographic patterns and regional strengths at a glance.

The design philosophy behind these visuals was rooted in clarity and simplicity. By limiting the visual forms to familiar chart types, the data remains approachable to a broad audience — from policymakers and academics to industry professionals. Each visual element was created to serve a specific communicative purpose, with no unnecessary embellishments or distractions. Labels, scales, and titles were kept concise and intuitive, ensuring that readers can immediately interpret the figures and understand the story each chart tells. Consistency across the set was also key; uniform layouts and axis formats make it easy to navigate from one graphic to another while maintaining a cohesive visual narrative throughout the report.

Colour played a particularly strategic role in the visual design. A restricted palette of Nature Orange and Blue was chosen to create visual harmony and maintain focus, while also aligning with the overall design aesthetic of the report. This consistent use of colour reinforces the report’s central focus — China’s innovation performance — while allowing the viewer to easily track its relative position across multiple dimensions of data.

Overall, the design approach balanced professionalism with readability, prioritising substance over style. By using simple chart forms, a minimal colour scheme, and careful visual hierarchy, the resulting graphics support the report’s goal: to provide an informative, visually coherent overview of China’s innovation and collaboration strengths in a way that is both engaging and easy to interpret.