guide for an effective poster
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GUIDE FOR AN EFFECTIVE POSTER. What can a Poster be or include?. Poster Art Piece Video Other Form of Media. Submitting a Proposal. http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/poster Proposal submissions due April 23rd What’s an Abstract? Short summary of your project; should include your findings Title - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
GUIDE FOR AN EFFECTIVE POSTER
What can a Poster be or include? Poster Art Piece Video Other Form of
Media
Submitting a Proposal http://www.stmarys-
ca.edu/poster Proposal submissions due
April 23rd What’s an Abstract?
Short summary of your project; should include your findings
Title Be Descriptive!
An Effective Poster is: Focused: focuses on a single message Simple: avoid saturating the viewer with
text Graphic: don’t tell, show; graphics
dominate Ordered: use a visual hierarchy for
emphasis
Design for the Overall Audience not Someone from Your Field
Use context Avoid jargon and uncommon abbreviations
(that you don’t identify) Explain your work or findings
Otherwise: Only people in your field will understand
your poster
Design for Three Audiences Attract more than
just competitors Competitors take no
effort to attract Viewers who know
your area need context and accessibility
Viewers outside area need problem/purpose explained
If you develop context, you reach a larger audience
Layout Lay out poster in columns, not rows:
Otherwise, viewers who read the top row will be unable to return back to the beginning of the second row.
Do not do rows (as pictured):
Organize Poster in Columns:
Indicate the Sequence Supply Clues:
Use numbers, letters and a logical sequence
Order the panels visually in units/columns
If the sequence is clear, viewers won’t have to search to find your evidence
Use a Visual Hierarchy Visually reflect importance:
If something is important, make it BIG Title is biggest, then headings, then
explanations If your message is visually emphasized,
viewers will get your message at a glance
Vital Information=Big Type Put the take home
messages in BIG HEADINGS Use headings to identify
results, explicitly State message instead of
saying “Results” Viewers can get message
from a distance
Use Readable Text Think of text as just another visual aid
Keep text brief, compact and single spaced Titles: Read for 6 ft The Rest: 3 ft Avoid using all caps
Organize Visually Maximize order and emphasis with color:
Keep panels in similar shape, conformation and orientation
Group elements to form conceptual units Use color for emphasis and use consistently
If the evidence is organized and emphasized, your message will be obvious
Do NOT Overstimulate the viewer (What to avoid)
Make Graphics Dominant Emphasize material
visually: Use graphics, figures
and cartoons, avoid boring tables
Use color to emphasize and link words/graphs
Don’t use keys, write explanations on figures
Make Conclusions specify the major points
summarize data Do not ONLY conclude that your topic needs
further research. Analyze the results you did get, otherwise viewers assume your research was pointless.
go beyond merely stating results Differentiate among data, summaries and
conclusions State interpretations and conclusions Make the strongest statement you can
have a “take home message”
Be concise . . . Discard Details
Otherwise you make your presentation unbearable for viewers to read
Edit ruthlessly Omit all you can, simplify verbiage If you MUST have details, talk about them/use a
handout Simple messages are most memorable
If viewers are undistracted by detail they can focus on message
Presentation Skills: When presenting,
focus on the graphics Start with the context Don’t read poster, use
the figures as visual aids
Try have a 5 and 2 minute version
If you focus on what is important, viewers can understand why it’s important