Effective Design on One Page
First Impressions
Posters are typically presented at large events with many other presenters. Your first goal is to capture the attention of the event attendees with an engaging design.Ìý
If attendees can read and understand your title from a distance, they’re more likely to approach you and check out your poster.Ìý
Consistent design can make your poster more attractive and easier to scan and read quickly.Ìý
Pay attention to the contrast between your colors (light/dark), avoid busy patterns in your background, and keep in mind those with visual impairments.Ìý
Readability
Make your point in as few words as possible and avoid Ìýjargon (discipline-specific words) to help others understand your work quickly.
Avoid putting numbers and other important data in the text of your poster, which can make it difficult to find and understand. ÌýSome may not read your text, so they might miss your data.
Bullet points and numbered lists can make it easier to scan and read your poster.
Limit yourself to one or two fonts and be sure to scale your text to the poster size.
Common Elements
Highlights you and the topic of your work
Provides a brief summary of your work
Provides some background for your work
Explains the way you went about your work
Shows the key findings or insights from your work
Highlights insights and the potential for more work
Highlights who supported your work
Lists the sources you cited on your poster
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