Effective Poster Design

Three Steps

1. Preparation2. Design for Impact3. Assess

Step 1 Preparation

• Define your audienceo 3 seconds to catch their attentiono 30 seconds to secure their attention

Step 1 Preparation

• Distill your messageo You have limited time, so choose wiselyo Select a statement, photo, or diagram that will

attract attentiono This is your three second hit

Step 1 Preparation

• Organize your informationo Divide your information into main sectionso Example:

o Titleo IntroductionoProductoBenefitsoDrawbacksoConclusion

Step 1 Preparation

• Organize your informationo Take each section and divide it into 3 categories:

oHeading: title the audience will see firsto Statement: one sentence about the headingo Support material: this includes more information,

pictures, graphs and/ or charts

Step 2 Design

• Use backgrounds and colour effectivelyo Don’t scare people away with crazy colourso Colour is used to highlight information

o Be consistent with colourso Don’t be too busy with your colours

Step 2 Design

• Leave spaceo Good posters leave space and are easy to followo The eye looks for edges, so arrange photos,

headings and text appropriately

Step 2 Design

• Use legible texto Information flows from left to right and from top

to bottomo Columns are your friendso Don’t write entirely in capital letters

Step 2 Design

• Use graphics for impacto Graphics include pictures, photos, graphs, etc.o Use visuals to help demonstrate your

understandingo Graphics are clear and specificoWrite captions for your imageso Avoid pictures that have large pixels

Step 3 Assessment

• Before you hand in your poster, assess it with the rubric that we created in class

• Have a peer, friend or relative look it over too• Remember, this is going on the wall for people

to see, so don’t rush it

Create!