Anaesthetic room walls are often covered with various posters and warnings reminding staff about recent incidents or safety hazards. Signs prompt us where to find dantrolene or intralipid, or how to confirm tube placement. 

When the RCoA changed its branding in 2016, professional designers were called in and consulted on the changes. When creating clinical informatics however, it is often left to clinicians; but a complex series of decisions that combine aesthetics, psychology, and ergonomics are required to make presentation effective.

In this, the first of a series of articles, we will explore some of the issues relevant to presenting information, beginning with iconography.