Seven Suggestions on How to Make an Awesome* Poster

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1. Tailor your presentation to your audience!

Experts within the field

• Shorter background
• Identify field significance
• Key results
• Highlight new techniques

Colleagues

• Stress background
• Clear presentation
• Detailed processes & data analysis

General public

• Strong background
• Clear motivation
• Relate to their background
• Answer a clear question

2. Select a goal for your poster

• Your poster is a visual guide to reference while you present.
• The poster should not distract the audience but instead be a tool to transfer information.
• If the poster is meant to hang in a hallway or lab for a long time, it is OK to include more detail.

3. Purpose

• Posters are well-suited for presenting a logical argument to a small number of people.
• Conversations often end up being bidirectional and people will be talking to you, not reading the poster very much.
• Posters are fantastic for in-depth, technical discussions.
• Develop a clear, singular message.
• Identify what you want your audience to take away.

4. Figures & Phrases

• Figures should be large, clear, and well labeled.
• People will not read paragraphs of text.
• Use phrases and bullet points.
• Keep text to the essentials
• Include only just enough information for someone to follow along if you are not there.

5. Professionalism

• Don’t ignore anyone.
• Let people ask you questions.
• Don’t speak over them.
• Never eat while presenting.
• Don’t have note cards.
• Thank people for speaking with you.

6. Focal points

• Motivation – Provide a clear motivation for your research.
• Make sure you have all the necessary figures You never want to think in the middle of your poster session, “Oh, I wish I had a figure which explained that.”
• You need to practice your poster explanation several times. Ask both colleagues & non-experts.

7. Design

• Posters are read left to right, top to bottom.
• Three column designs are common (see figure).
• Less is more. Stick to the message.
• Results and conclusion go on the right side of a poster.
• Put references and acknowledgments at the bottom.
• Either make all your own figures (preferred), or cite them appropriately. Avoid plagiarism.
• Favor graphs over tables.

For more information on preparing an effective presentation, see “Preparing an Effective Presentation ,” also in this issue.