Designing Posters and Exhibitions at the Oxford Botanic

Garden to Raise Awareness Worldwide

Louise Allen

Ten Stages for Successful Displays and Posters

After a decade of poster design we have developed ten basic stages to ensure successful poster and exhibition designs. This presentation takes you through these ten stages.

Stage 1 If you don’t have the money,

don’t do it

• Look for sponsorship rather than trying to produce it cheaply. Posters need to look good and should be of the highest quality.

Stage 2Use a designer

• A professional look is essential. On our most recent project we chose to work with an advertising company. We asked to see examples of their work and asked them to help us in preparing our grant application.

Stage 3Create a design classic

• A few years ago the V & A museum in London produced an exhibition of poster designs. When producing our Sex and Drugs we unwittingly produced a design classic which would have been quite at home in their exhibition.

Stage 4Be brave

• Go with your instincts. Remember that you want people to see your poster. There is nothing worse than a poster that nobody wants.

Stage 5Choose strong images

• Buy in if you don’t have your own images. This is essential if it is to look professional. Pictures can be very powerful and have the ability to move people.

Stage 6Never under-estimate demand

• Always have more printed than you think, especially as the more you produce the cheaper they are. Our last set of posters had a print run of 7,500 and in less than a year they have all gone.

Stage 7Remember accessibility

• Choose a display system that is easy to transport. Remember that International Congresses take place all over the World! If you can produce a poster as well as an exhibition so much the better.

Stage 8Publicise your achievement

• Be proud of your achievement. Issue a press release to educational magazines and newspapers and don’t forget BGCI’s Roots.

Stage 9Use slogans

• Use phrases to catch people’s eye . They will remember them forever. Anna Lewington’s book Plants for People is a great source.

Stage 10Provoke Relate Reveal

• The mantra that we use throughout our work. Provoke people in to looking, ensure that they can relate to the subject so that you can reveal a new piece of information to them.