Poster Design Nadia Barclay, Brooke Everett Information Technology Lab School of Information University of Texas at Austin

What is a Poster? A large, synchronous, visual presentation medium used to present research at conferences. –large: meant to be viewed from a distance –synchronous (all at once): this means your point needs to be made quickly and succinctly –visual: use images whenever possible and pay attention to layout An opportunity for you to present your work in a close, interactive setting.

Here’s a poster session… and here’s another one.

Capstone Poster Session Content Requirements –Objectives –Methodology –Outcomes –Conclusions –Advisor information Medium Requirements –No larger than 20x30 inches –May use a laptop, but it is not required. Poster is required. − The iSchool provides foam core for use during the session.

Poster-making Software A few different ways to put your poster together: PowerPoint Adobe InDesign or Photoshop Visio / Omnigraffle

Tips for using Graphics Software When editing images in Photoshop or Illustrator, use CMYK settings, rather than RGB. Screen Captures –Set the resolution high enough so that the image won’t degrade when it’s enlarged. –400dpi should be high enough − You can make Screen Shots in PowerPoint (2010 version)!

Tools Graphics Software: Photoshop, Illustrator Desktop Publishing Software (used for layout): InDesign, PowerPoint, Omnigraffle The Plotter: located in the lab A great poster can be made with nothing more than PowerPoint!

Getting Started with PowerPoint You can find poster templates online by searching for “poster templates PowerPoint.” There are also some links at the end of the presentation. Resize your slide immediately after opening PowerPoint (waiting until the end can create a formatting nightmare). Design  Page Setup You can also change your slide’s orientation through the same menu path

Color Remember color blindness. Don’t use color combos that people might not be able to see Use a light background with dark text

Visual Design Make sure the title and text are large enough to read from a distance. − title ~ 25ft –text ~ 5ft (24 point font should be smallest) Use lists rather than text blocks Don’t underline, instead use italics

Tips for creating a poster Don’t overfill your poster with content Really. Take everything out that you don’t need, and then one more thing. Use images instead of words wherever possible. Don’t forget grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Proofread your poster before you print it out.

Visualization Inspiration

Ideas for Images Charts Graphs Diagrams Maps Timelines Textual visualizations

Textual Visualizations

Include a Map A nice way to illustrate place or compare places. Make your own maps with

Diagrams from Lists

QR Codes You can use a QR code to link to a website for your project at Your QR code can be plain… or customized to match your theme!

Printing on the plotter Make an appointment. Be prepared to spend minutes. Arrive with your file on a flash drive, CD, or on UT WebSpace. Try to save in PowerPoint or as a pdf. Usually costs between $ $4.00. Bring $1 bills or quarters. No change available.

Presenting your Poster Consider bringing handouts, business cards, or some other sort of takeaway. Memorize a couple of spiels that you can bring out depending on your viewers level of interest: –Have an “elevator pitch” –plus a more detailed explanation Don’t block your poster!

More Resources The School of Information IT Lab equipment, software and tutorials to help with your poster design needs.IT Lab iSchool Capstone Poster Session Guidelines ALA Poster Tips Poster Templates QR Codes