Poster PresentationsPoster Presentations

ContextContext• Academic:Academic:

short reports of short reports of current researchcurrent research

• Industry:Industry: trade fairstrade fairs

• Education:Education: summaries of summaries of

particular topicsparticular topics

AimsAims• Attract an audienceAttract an audience

• Keep the audienceKeep the audience

• Inform the Inform the audienceaudience

• Impress the Impress the audienceaudience

Attract an AudienceAttract an Audience

Colour schemeColour scheme• make effective use of colourmake effective use of colour• but do check for legibilitybut do check for legibility

Use of graphicsUse of graphics• make them large enoughmake them large enough• background graphic can be effectivebackground graphic can be effective

Interesting titleInteresting title• make subject of poster clearmake subject of poster clear

Keep the audienceKeep the audience

ContentContent• get the level rightget the level right• tell a coherent tell a coherent

storystory• put results in put results in

contextcontext explain motivationexplain motivation explain explain

significance of significance of resultsresults

LayoutLayout• clear navigationclear navigation• legible font sizeslegible font sizes

including graph including graph axes and legends!axes and legends!

• design layout and design layout and colour scheme for colour scheme for ease of legibilityease of legibility

Inform the AudienceInform the Audience

ContentContent• get the level get the level

right!right!• stress the stress the

important pointsimportant points• do not overwhelm do not overwhelm

with detail…with detail…• ……but do back up but do back up

what you saywhat you say

LayoutLayout• should should

complement complement contentcontent

stress important stress important pointspoints

present results present results clearlyclearly

introduction and introduction and conclusionconclusion

Impress the AudienceImpress the Audience

ContentContent• make clear that make clear that

you know what you know what you’re doing and you’re doing and whywhy

be prepared for be prepared for questionsquestions

don’t include don’t include material you don’t material you don’t understandunderstand

stress any new or stress any new or important findingsimportant findings

LayoutLayout• look professionallook professional

no skew-whiff bits no skew-whiff bits of paper glued to of paper glued to cardboardcardboard

no typos or no typos or spelling mistakesspelling mistakes

good quality good quality graphicsgraphics

Design IssuesDesign Issues

Colour schemeColour scheme• choose dark-on-light or light-on-darkchoose dark-on-light or light-on-dark

ensure good contrast between text and ensure good contrast between text and backgroundsbackgrounds

be careful when using patterned backgroundsbe careful when using patterned backgrounds

LayoutLayout• divide material into blocksdivide material into blocks

but not too many blocksbut not too many blocks try to avoid long stretches of uninterrupted texttry to avoid long stretches of uninterrupted text make sure it’s clear what graphs represent make sure it’s clear what graphs represent

(title, axis labels, legend)(title, axis labels, legend)

NavigationNavigation

Posters don’t automatically impose Posters don’t automatically impose ordering of materialordering of material• if order is important, make sure it is if order is important, make sure it is

naturalnatural English-speaking people will naturally work top English-speaking people will naturally work top

to bottom, left to rightto bottom, left to right therefore introductory material should be on top therefore introductory material should be on top

or at leftor at left

• ensure graphics and text relate naturallyensure graphics and text relate naturally try to avoid need for arrows etc.try to avoid need for arrows etc.

Example layoutsExample layouts

IntroductionIntroduction

Panel Panel 11

Panel Panel 2 2

Panel Panel 33

Central image

ConclusionConclusion

Good posters are easier to Good posters are easier to recognise than to describerecognise than to describe• lots of posters round department, by lots of posters round department, by

academics and studentsacademics and students look at themlook at them decide which you like and which you don’tdecide which you like and which you don’t try to analyse reasons try to analyse reasons whywhy you like/dislike you like/dislike

posterposter check with friends (if everyone likes a check with friends (if everyone likes a

particular poster, it’s doing something particular poster, it’s doing something right)right)