Sponsored by the DEST program: China Higher Education Strategic Initiatives

© The University of Adelaide

Designing a conference poster

Purpose of a conference poster

• Describe your research concisely and clearly*

• *Clearly: must be readable at 1.5 metres distance!

• Leave the reader with an understanding of what you did, why you did it, and what you found out

• Build on the Abstract submitted when registering

Designing the poster - 1

Check instructions for maximum size; contact the organisers if this is not clear - e.g. does ‘1 metre x 2 metres’ mean this* or this? (*usually)

Title & authors (as Abstract), with Logos and Author’s photo(?)

Use a simple ‘format’ with headings, e.g.-• Aims (in brief)• Significance or Background of the research (in brief)• Methods (in brief)• Results (use subheadings as necessary)• Conclusions (the ‘take-home’ story)• Literature cited (if any; keep the list short!)• Acknowledgments (who pays for your research?)

Designing the poster - 2

You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly 100-1000 posters at the conference!) So:

• Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)

• Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’

• Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.

• No coloured background that distracts the reader

Poor colour/background combinations

Poor colour/background

combinations- especially with small type

Poor colour/background combinations

- especially with small type

Poor colour/background combinations- especially with different coloured print

Distracting Distracting backgroundbackground

No background is much better than poor background

Designing the poster - 2 (continued)

You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly 100-1000 posters at the conference!) So:

• Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)

• Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’

• Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.

• No coloured background that distracts the reader

• Include only essential results (no complicated Tables or Figures that take a long time to understand)

A sample Table

Table 1. Effects of Ca addition on mean K and Na content of shoots of two varieties of barley (Adelaide and Brisbane). Values are mol g-1 (fresh weight); n = 4. Different superscripts in the same columns indicate significant differences (P >0.05%).

Treatment Adelaide Brisbane

K Na K Na

Low salt, -Ca 75.323a 21.475a 69.987a 16.901a

Low salt, +Ca 71.842a 26.323a 65.434a 17.069a

High salt, -Ca 23.106b 87.363b 13.739b 109.667b

High salt, +Ca 53.869c 24.816a 25.896c 87.348c

The same Table

Table 1. Effects of Ca addition on mean K and Na content of

shoots of two varieties of barley (Adelaide and Brisbane).

Values are mol g-1 (fresh weight); n = 4.

Treatment Adelaide Brisbane

K Na K Na

Low salt, -Ca 75.3a 21.5a 70.0a 16.9a

Low salt, +Ca 71.8a 26.3a 65.4a 17.1a

High salt, -Ca 23.1b 87.4b 13.7b 109.7b

High salt, +Ca 53.9c 24.8a 25.9c 87.3c

Different superscripts in the same columns indicate significant differences (P >0.05%)

• This version takes up the same amount of space

• Important effects are highlighted

Designing the poster - 2 (continued)

You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly 100-1000 posters at the conference!) So:

• Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)

• Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’

• Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.

• No coloured background that distracts the reader

• Include only essential results (no complicated Tables or Figures that take a long time to understand)

• Make the take- home message very clear!

A simple poster format - not to scale

AimsUp to say 5 lines of textSignificanceup to say 10 lines of textMethods As necessary, in smaller type

ResultsData

Caption & summary

Title of the poster in a large size of type

Authors & addresses in smaller type

logo Photo

More Results

More data

Caption & summary

Conclusions• can be dot points• length depends on

‘Results’• can be highlighted

References (if any; in small type)

Acknowledgments (in small type)

‘Landscape’ format 3 columns only

Poster as separate panels - not to scale

AimsUp to say 5 lines of textSignificanceup to say 10 lines of text

Title of the poster in large type

More Results

More data

Caption & summary

Authors & addresses smaller type

Photo

Methodsas necessary in smaller type

ResultsData

Caption & summary

Conclusions•can be dot points•length depends on ‘Results’•can be highlighted

References (if any; in small type)

Acknowledgments (in small type)

Panels can be split into 2 panels

for easy carrying

logo

Printed in black & white on coloured paper: not many paper colours!

Poster as separate panels - not to scale

AimsUp to say 5 lines of textSignificanceup to say 10 lines of text

Title of poster in large type

More Results

More data

Caption & summary

Authors & addresses

Photo

Methodsas necessary in smaller type

ResultsData

Caption & summary

Conclusions•can be dot points•length depends on ‘Results’•can be highlighted

References (if any; in small type)

Acknowledgments (in small type)

logo

Panels are printed on white paper, stuck on coloured backing sheets

A4 ‘mini-posters’

• Very useful to take copies to the conference

• Print the poster as an A4 page

• If the poster is made up from panels, copy them in reduced size to make an A4 page

• Print in colour if possible - if not, black & white OK (though photographs may not be clear)

• The poster should be readable in A4 size (even in black & white)

• If it isn’t, it is probably too ‘cluttered’ even in full size!

• See the examples provided

Posters: checklist for quality

• Is the poster (full-size or mini-poster) easily readable?

• Are the Aims of the research obvious?

• Do Tables & Figures give only the essential information (or too much)?

• Does the coloured ‘background’ (if any) make the poster difficult to read?

• Are the Conclusions obvious?

• Does the poster give a good visual impression as a whole?

The conference - 1

• Pack the poster carefully - tube or suitcase

• Remember the mini-posters - e.g. 25 - 50 copies (depends on the size of the conference)

• Take your own pins and ‘velcro’ - especially if you are taking panels; also scissors (in your suitcase) and sticky tape.

• Whitener or white tape and a black pen are useful if you see mistakes when the poster is up (quite common!)

The conference - 2

Poster Sessions (not all conferences)

• Author stands by poster at times given in the program

• Good contact with conference delegates

• Can be more useful than talks

Mini-talks (not all conferences)

• Invitation in advance

• Up to 5 minutes to summarise the poster

• Not more than a Title-&-Authors slide and 2 more: e.g. 1) Aims & Significance; 2) some key Results & main Conclusions.

After the conference

• The poster is a lasting record of your research

• Display in your institute and show visitors

• If the institute wishes to build up a collection for display, it helps to use a consistent style of poster presentation (use the same ‘template’)

© The University of Adelaide