As you might have noticed by now, our Figure360 pilot is successfully underway! We’ve been thinking and talking about this for years, actually, from our first post back in 2014 to Nicole Neuman's post about a month ago. But if you're new to the conversation and still wondering what a Figure360 even is, don't worry, I've got you covered.

If you're watching a Figure360 instead of looking at a static figure on the page, you get to listen to the authors talk about their findings while watching the figure itself come to life before your eyes. Think a mini scientific talk of sorts. Pretty neat, right?

It's not perfect yet, though. We still have some kinks to work out (trust us, we know), and that's where you come in. We want to know what you think. We have big dreams for these little guys, and we want you to help us get them there. From our original prototypes back in 2014 to the most recent figures still rolling in as we speak, the pilot Figure360 portal is now home to 20 Figure360s and counting. Even the Trends journals have joined on. Our authors have worked hard on these, and we're proud of what they've put together for you! We'd love for you to stop by, browse around, watch a few, and oh, hey—all the papers associated with them are also freely available for the duration of the pilot, so if you'd like to go read those too, please do.

There is a short (we promise!) survey at the portal where we would love to hear from you. Give us your thoughts and let us know how we could make these better, more useful, more of what you want and need—we want to hear it all.

Imagine a paper in which every figure talks, walks, and gives you what you need to know, faster. We're not there yet, but we hope the idea excites you as much as it does us. This is a new approach to figures, a way to understand more, to understand deeper, and to understand faster what the authors are trying to get at. We know we're excited about where this could go—now we just want to hear what you think. Let us know at the Figure360 portal survey.