1. GUIDE FOR AN EFFECTIVE POSTER

2. What can a Poster be or include?
Art Piece
Video
Other Form of Media

3. Submitting a Proposal What’s an Abstract?
ca.edu/poster
Proposal submissions due April 23rd
What’s an Abstract?
Short summary of your project; should include your findings
Title
Be Descriptive!
Link

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Do not do rows (as pictured):

9. Organize Poster in Columns:

10. 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
Think of a well composed photograph

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

15. 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

17. Do NOT Overstimulate the viewer (What to avoid)

18. 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
Be careful with the color, don’t get too colorful

19. Make Conclusions go beyond merely stating results
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”
Your poster has a purpose. What is the message that you are trying to communicate. Even if it only is there needs to be more study, there should be a “This needs more study because”.

20. 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

21. 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