There are two incredible literatures that give a lot of examples that can be used as models for the black&white design world of science diagrams.

I find these very interesting and stretching.

1. Color Doodles. Design and color and precision and perspective all meet. Many doodles are exceptionally repetitive and precise. Good models for scientific graphics.
2. Fountain Pen Ink Reviews. Skip right to the pictures. These review are incredible graphic displays of what you can do with color in ways that are not necessarily intuitive. But they make sense once you see the contrasts and comparisons. And look at color pen and ink sketching.

Yeah, I know, weird from someone who had a scientific career of 35 years. But in this new world of visual thinking that is expanding daily, color and design are like fonts and language and grammar used to be — better ways to get your ideas across.

And soon the neuroscience will expand and we scientists will learn which colors and design features get the neurons going. Somehow, I suspect that it will be the very things that good designers have already identified today.