1. Edith Baker Integrated Healthcare Fellowship
Edith Baker Fellowship
Edith Baker Integrated Healthcare Fellowship

2. Compelling and Informative
Effective Poster Presentations
Compelling and Informative

3. What is Best Practice?
"It takes intelligence, even brilliance, to condense and focus information into a clear, simple presentation that will be read and remembered. Ignorance and arrogance are shown in a crowded, complicated, hard-to-read poster."
Mary Helen Briscoe

4. An effective poster is a visual communications tool.
An effective poster will help you ...
Engage colleagues in conversation
Get your main point(s) across to as many people as possible

5. Goals of an effective poster
Communicates visually
Serves as an illustrated abstract
Aesthetically pleasing
Attracts & holds attention
Easily read
Initiates discussion
Is concise & organized
Focuses on a single clear message
Successfully presents scientific / technical information
Is not a journal article
Stands alone if /when you’re not there

6. Big 3 for an effective poster
Focus on a single message
Let graphs and images tell the story
Keep the sequence well ordered and obvious

7. An effective poster operates on multiple levels ...
Source of information
Conversation starter
Advertisement of your work
Summary of your work

8. Ineffective posters suffer from easy-to-fix problems...
Objective(s) and main point(s) hard to find
Text too small
Poor graphics
Poor organization

9. Title
Intro
Conclusions
Do not resist the eye’s natural propensity to travel left – right / top - bottom

10. Components of the poster
Title of Project & Author(s)
School of Social Work & Placement Site
Issue/Research Question(s)
Research Design/ Method
Findings
Implications for Social Work Practice
3-5 Competencies
References (minimal role in poster)
Acknowledgements (HRSA statement)

11. Poster construction Plan your poster Page Set-Up
Title, Author (s), References,& Placement site
Body Text & Graphic Elements
Rough Layout
Refinement
Color Scheme
Proof and Final Editing

12. Ask yourself…..
What you are studying, why it's important, and how your analysis/ findings will add to field of social work/ integrated healthcare?  

13. Plan before you begin your poster
Draft /edit text portions in word processing program
Use plain language
Pare down blocks of text ≤ 10 sentences
Create subheadings
Use phrases & bulleted lists
Save text ~ font for poster (Arial 24)
Collect images, graphs, etc.
Create a storyboard
Think in terms of columns
Organize elements
top bottom
left right

14. Set-up single PPT slide
Open new (Blank) presentation
Start PowerPoint and a New presentation automatically opens
Home Tab > Layout > Blank
Or right click on slide & select Layout > Blank
Establish page size: Full color, gloss, 36x48
From Design tab > Page Setup
Slide Sized for: Custom
Input Width & Height (inches) max = 56”
For posters up to 4’8” x 4’8” input the exact size in inches
For larger posters, input 50% of the finished size in inches
Orientation (Slide) Landscape
Click OK
* Note: You may get message “current page exceeds printable area of paper in printer”. Say OK & ignore warning. You will not be printing full size on your desktop printer.

15. Title, author(s), and site
Add Title, Author(s), & Placement Site(s)
From Insert Tab > select Text Box
Drag cursor across the page
Type text (or cut / paste from word processor) into Text Box
Select text & change font sizes
Font sizes will vary with length of title, number of authors & institutions, and size of poster
Remember to halve font sizes if poster is half-scale
See rough guidelines below (practice poster figures are shown in right column)
Title
Full size 50%
~60-90 pts
~30-45 pts
” high
Arial Black - size 80
Author(s)
~70-60 pts
~20-30 pts
1-1.5 “ high
Arial - size 48 - Bold
Placement site(s)
~36-48 pts
~18-24 pts
.5-.75” high
Arial - size 36 - Bold

16. Text body Create a text box for each block of information
From Insert Tab > select Text Box
Drag cursor across the page
Type text (or cut / paste) into Text Box
Select text & change font sizes
Ensure text is readable
Try a typeface family -- Arial Black, Arial, Arial Narrow
Avoid script fonts & ALL CAPS
Text type
Scale
Font size (pts)
Print size
Practice Poster
Text Body
Full size
50%
~ pts
~ pts
.2 -.3” high
Arial - size 24 minimum- regular

17. Images Add picture From Insert Tab > select Picture
Browse to find picture and click Open or Insert
Use PowerPoint image manipulation tools
Reposition
Resize
Rotate
Crop
Use images greater or equal to 300 dpi
Be careful with images from internet or captured from screen
If needed, add a grey or black border (matting) using picture styles options in Picture Tools tab.

18. Strive for balance Keep text neat & uncluttered
Limit text (e.g words for a medium-sized poster)
Scale text boxes (~ words wide)
Left justify to make it easier to read
Use line spacing & paragraph spacing to arrange text
Consider proportions
% text
% graphics
20 % white space
Balance margins & white space
Sides & top margins ~ ”
Bottom margin slightly bigger > good visual base
Avoid crowding content

19. Think about the color scheme
Contrast between text & background is critical
Complement poster contents & images
Light backgrounds work well with dark photos & graphic
Dark backgrounds for light photos & graphics
Intense colors are good for borders or emphasis
Stick to a theme or palette of colors
Office 2007 comes with built-in & customizable palettes

20. Color options Background
Design Tab > Background Styles > Format Background
Apply fill (solid, gradient, picture, texture, etc.)
Select color, gradient pattern, transparency, etc.
Color palette - Theme Colors
Design Tab > Colors
Select a theme (you can change this later)
Color Blocks ( behind title)
Insert Tab > Shapes > pick a shape (e.g., rectangle)
Drag cursor across page; resize as needed
Right click on shape and Send to Back
With shape selected, click on Format Drawing Tools
Use Shape Styles options

21. Other options Section headers
Insert Tab > Text Box; click and drag to create box, type text
With text box selected, click on Format Drawing Tools
Use Shape Styles for the box & Word Art Styles for the text
Semi-transparent layer under text (If contrast between text and background needs improvement)
Add AutoShape & change color /transparency using Format AutoShape
Move shape behind Text by right clicking & selecting Send to Back
If you select an image as background
Use subtle image or text won’t be readable
Add semi-transparent layer between image & text

22. Refine text and layout Make final text edit
It is not too late to pare down large text blocks
Justify text
Standardize column width
Fine tune the layout using Format Drawing Tools
Use Arrange menu in the Format Drawing Tools Tab or Home Tab
Align borders of the elements in one column
Group column elements
Distribute columns across page
Use Size Dialog box under Format Drawing Tools Tab to precisely size
Refine title, site name & logo, and references

23. Text too small / Poor graphics
Edit down sentence to phrases
If it is not relevant, remove it
Consider proportions
40-50% text
30-40% graphs/images
20% white space

24. Guidelines for presentation
Invite guests (Task Supervisor and Field Instructor) to learn about your project
The poster should tell what, when, where, why, and how. So should you. Prepare a couple of sentences which answer each of these questions.
Connect your explanations to the elements of the poster 

25. Guideline for presentation
Offer more detail when requested
Provide a handout
Practice prior to the poster session

26. Use of white space and photos

27. Poster samples

28. Title of Poster
Author(s), Edith Baker Integrated Healthcare Fellowship
Site Name
Site Logo Here
Introduction/ Field Site (Who)
Method/design
(How, Where , When)
Results
How much text should be in the poster? If there’s too much text the readers will lose interest and move on. Limit your text to the bare minimum and give more detailed information in a handout to interested viewers. If possible use bullet points and phrases over whole paragraphs. Pictures are helpful.
Font sizes: Make the section titles about point text. The body text of a poster should be about point. 18 point for captions and labels.
Columns
The columns are there for a guideline. You do not have to use them.
Scans and Digital Photos
Scans images the size you want them in the poster at 180 dpi. For pictures from your own digital camera, uses the largest file setting.
View your poster at 100% to see if your photos are high enough resolution.
Pictures from the Internet:
Unless you find photos made for down- loading and printing, the resolution is likely to be too low. The photos will not print well.
Only use internet photos with copyright permission. We recommend a stock photography site such as istockphoto.com. You will pay a small fee but have much higher quality images.
Background Photos
If you use a photo for the poster background don’t use a busy, detailed image. It could distract from the text of the poster. The image must be high resolution. A textured background or gradient fill may be a better background option.
Inserting photos:
To insert a photo choose Insert menu/picture
If you insert graphics from a Microsoft Office product please include a copy when sending the poster. Occasionally I have trouble with the graphics and it helps to have the original documents
Caption for your photo
Impact in the Community
(Why after)
How will it changed health care and the community?
Saving
When finished with your poster, save it as a PowerPoint (.ppt) and an Acrobat file (.pdf) and both files .
Issue (What)
Background (Why before)
description of this figure
Avoid a “busy” background. It’ll make the text harder to read. Filling a background with a photo makes it more interesting but it can easily compete with your information.
To add an additional heading just copy and paste an existing heading and edit its text.
References & Acknowledgements
description of this figure

31. Title of your poster Author name(s), Edith Baker Integrated Healthcare Fellowship
School logo
Site logo
Who or Why
What (introduction to the project)
Where and when
Why (results, conclusions, outcomes, etc.)
You may wish to divide this up into several boxes
You may decrease the font size in these body sections to fit your text , but do not go smaller than 24 point.
Describe where and when your project took place. Include any information on the population that you didn’t address previously.
[Text]
Photo
Describe the outcome of your project. You may want to compare “before and after” statuses, or discuss the implications of your project, or future possibilities.
How (describe methods)
Describe how your project worked. Don’t forget to include relevant images such as charts, figures, tables, or photos.
Photo
Photo
Photo
Photo
Describe the reasoning behind your project and how it began. You may include background information and/or your objective in this section. You may want to include charts, tables, other figures, or photographs. For a more coherent look, keep the color scheme of your SmartArt or charts consistent with the rest of your poster.
Acknowledgements
If you do include figures, double check your axis or other labels! Make sure they’re labeled correctly. You may also need to increase the font size to make them readable.
Acknowledge your program, any funding, important people, or any other type of support you received. Any references used.

32. Due dates Electric poster drafts are due TBA for feedback
Final posters are due March 26th. Save the poster as a PowerPoint (.ppt) and an Acrobat file (.pdf) and both files
Poster pick-up
Provide backing/mounting

33. Presentation event Poster Presentation
April 10, 2019 – 3:30pm-5pm (please arrive by 3:00 pm to set up)
2017 CL
Three sets of 30min presentations, if needed
Easels will be provided
Please invite your Field Instructor/Task Supervisor(s)
Have hand-outs

34. Acknowledgement statement and School of Social Work logo
This fellowship is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number, M01HP31376, Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
Official School of Social Work Logo:

35. Analyzing data software
SPSS is available in the Student Computer Labs
Download SPSS without charge at my.pitt.edu -

36. References and Additional Resources
University at Buffalo - Poster presentation guidelines - library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/bio/posters.html NCSU - Effective poster guidelines UCSD School of Medicine - Creating effective posters using PowerPoint -