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Poster Presentation Guidelines
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Guidelines for Development and Construction
Examples from previous Colloquiums:
Dietary Composition of Native and Invasive Hawaiian Mullet Species (2005)
Jess Timperley, Kristie Engelhart
The Wireless Multi-purpose Traffic Count System (2005)
Leye Bello, Faisal Ahmed, Kingsley Ekinde
Effects of Oxovanadium Complexes (possible anti-cancer compounds) on the Early
Development of Xenopus laevis (2005)
Aaron Piotrowski
HIV/AIDS in Africa: An Awareness
Pam Nelson, Daved Pederson, Michelle Hed, Sarah Cook, Andy Iserberg, Neema Jangu, Angela Osbeck, Aneesh Joshi
Planning
Your poster will consists of a combination of headings, text, illustrations, charts, and diagrams. The amount of each will vary depending on the topic and the research you conducted. Write down everything you would like to include in your poster. Next, sketch your poster on a piece of paper with all of the different sections you would like to cover. Headings may include title, introduction, methods, results, recommendations, conclusions. Follow this general format:
Posters will have a 4' x 8' supporting board for display of materials. Poster boards are provided.
Audience
The viewers of your poster display will be educated, but not
necessarily in your field. Jargon and acronyms specific to the research
or discipline should not be used unless explained (not the best option).
Creating your Poster
There are a few different ways to create the poster.
1.) Tri-fold: This method of poster construction has declined at academic conferences and as a result few students use this method even through tri-fold posters are still available for purchase at bookstores.
2.) PowerPoint Slides: This method consists of printing individual 8.5" x 11" slides using Microsoft PowerPoint and positioning them on the 4' x 8' supporting board in a logical order.
3.) Large Scale Poster: This method involves using a computer program (such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign) to create a poster which is printed on a large format printer (plotter) in one piece which is than affixed to the 4' x 8' supporting board. Talk to you Faculty Sponsor about printing options including commercial ventures like Kinko's.
Free web sites with directions for creating large scale posters:
Elements of your Poster
Props or objects
You (in consultation with your Faculty Sponsor) may wish to have present at your display area physical objects, demonstrations, or apparatus. These elements are, in most cases, allowed and encouraged. The primary concern is for the security of these components. Continuous attendance, by the student(s), or designated persons is recommended. The removal of these objects to a secure location (not provided) is also recommended during the times they are not in use, or that they will be unattended. Please request special arrangements for any special facilities, including electricity, early in the process.
Title
Mentally remove yourself from the ongoing research project long enough to identify, within it, that single fundamental concept that captures the essence. Express this concept in no more than ten words. Write the ten words out and distill them down to five. For example if my topic was (in ten words): Bicycle tire inflation pressure's relationship to rock and curb damage, I would distill this to: Inflation and Bicycle Tire Damage. This might not be the title of your research, but it will provide a focus toward which the presentation must proceed.
The major headline on the top of your display should include the title, the student(s) name(s), and the College/Department/Faculty Sponsor(s) name(s). These should be in at least 50 mm (2") (142 pt.) block style letters. The use of one type font is recommended. Choose a font that is san serif, not decorative. Bold blocky text works well. Avoid fonts that strain the eye. Just because you can use them doesn't mean you should. Color, bold face, and underline are far better than mixed fonts or italicized words used for emphasis.
Introduction
The introduction should be about three to five sentences. Don't repeat the abstract, because it will be published in the Colloquium Proceedings, which will be available to all attendees.
Text
The poster is primarily visual, use text to support the graphics. A target to shoot for is 20% text, 40% graphics and 40% empty space consisting of borders, margins, and paragraph separations.
- Use simple words and short sentences.
- Use a sans serifs font, like Helvetica bold that does not have curlicues.
- Suggested sizes: section headings 36 to 48 point, supporting text 24 to 36 point, be restrained in your use of large type and colored text for emphasis.
- Posters are not publications of record; avoid excessive detail and large tables of data.
Graphics
Use figures, tables and graphs to tell a story. Organize them into sections, for example, use slightly different colored backgrounds. Use muted colors for background. Use borders that are about 10 mm around the figures. Don't rely on your verbal explanations at the poster session to link the poster components together. Cues for continuity come from layout and sequence. Graphic material should be legible from 1.5 m (6 feet) away. Computer graphics applications programs (like Adobe Illustrator, and others) are available for student use at most SCSU Open Computer Labs.
Layout
There are a number of conventions in poster design and it can be a good idea to follow them. People tend to read a poster either from left to right (in rows) or from up to down (in columns) in a logical order. Generally you should lay out your poster material in vertical columns so people can follow your story as they move from left to right. Use the center area of the display area for method and results.
To help with the layout you can make a scaled down sketched version (called a thumbnail or mockup). Cut a piece of paper in the same rectangular dimensions of the poster but scaled down to be easier to work with. Cut pieces to fit on this thumbnail, including rough sketches of the illustrations and portions of text. Lay the components out (without glue) on the rectangle to arrange them for best effect. Have others, or your Faculty Sponsor, check the design.
Free web sites with design and layout ideas:
Construction (hanging the show)
Bring stick pins, staples, etc., to attach your poster session materials to the 4' x 8' supporting board at your assigned time. You can use colored tag board or cloth as a background. Using different background colors can help the viewer separate different parts of the display, but don't use intense or wildly different colors as background. Don't feel obligated to use all the space. Get help with hanging, the process may requires a few hands.
Text last updated by Jennifer (Kate) C. Peterson, Assistant Professor, Reference Services, February, 2006.
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