Biodesigners' Guide to Reading Biotech Papers

Let's be honest. Most of us would rather watch paint dry than read another paragraph about "statistically significant p-values" or "methodological frameworks."

Three hours into a scientific paper and you're contemplating a career change to literally anything that doesn't involve reading academic literature. Been there.

But here's the dirty little secret they don't teach in academia: you only need about 10% of any scientific paper, and the rest is just academic peacocking.

Who This Guide Is For (And Who It’s Not)

This guide serves biodesigners, creatives, and hybrid thinkers who need to transform complex scientific papers into actionable design inspiration.

It is not for those seeking academic rigor or statistical validation. It's specifically crafted for professionals who extract creative potential from technical literature without getting bogged down in methodological details.

Scientific Papers Aren't Written for Designers

Most biotech papers are written for:

• Grant committees evaluating research validity

• Journal editors assessing technical rigour

• Fellow scientists scrutinising methodologies

• Academic peers to impress with elaborate language and methodological gymnastics (admittedly, I've been guilty of this)

They're intentionally detailed and technically precise, fundamentally different from what stimulates creative thinking.

Yet within these papers exist valuable elements: novel materials, unexpected biological behaviours, and innovative fabrication methods that can drive design innovation.

Skim Smarter, Not Harder

Strategic reading focuses on extracting high-value content while bypassing dense technical details. The two tables below, with specific examples, highlight what type of paper content drives design innovation and those which can usually be skimmed.

Subscribe to our premium content to read the rest.