Course Code: PD0701 Poster Design using PowerPoint

Transcription

1 Centre for Learning and Academic Development IT Skills Training Course Code: PD0701 Poster Design using PowerPoint Version 1.0

2 Poster Design Using PowerPoint Author: Paul Foxall Version: 1.0, July The University of Birmingham All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be photocopied, recorded or otherwise reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any electrical or mechanical means without permission of the copyright holder. Trademarks: Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All brand names and product names used in this handbook are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders.

3 Contents Poster Design Using PowerPoint... ii Author: Paul Foxall... ii Contents... i About the workbook... 1 How to do something... 1 Tip... 1 Danger!... 1 Before Getting Started Starting PowerPoint... 2 Windows Understanding the PowerPoint Program Screen... 3 Understanding the Ribbon... 4 Selecting a layout... 5 Setting up PowerPoint for A0 size... 6 Displaying Drawing Guides... 7 Changing the Background Colour of Your Poster... 8 Applying a Gradient... 9 Adding Text to Your Poster Using WordArt to Create a Title Using a Text Box to Insert Text Inserting Text from another Program Using Diagrams and Images Creating a Diagram Aligning and Grouping Applying a Background Image Changing the Fill Colour of Text Boxes Using SmartArt The Basics Examples of possible combinations of Heading/Sections: Summary Guidelines for Posters Viewing distance Viewing time General tips on how to present your poster Try to avoid Poster Design using PowerPoint

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5 About the workbook The workbook is designed as a reference for you to use after the course has finished. The workbook is yours to take away with you so feel free to make any notes you need in the workbook itself The workbook is divided into sections with each section explaining about a particular feature of the program or how to do a particular task. Sections that take you through a particular procedure step-by-step look like this: How to do something Do this first. Then do this. Then do this to finish. There are also a number of text boxes to watch out for throughout the workbook. These will help you to get the most out of the course. Tip The thumbs-up symbol in the margin indicates a tip. These tips will help you work more effectively. Danger! The thumbs-down picture in the margin indicates common mistakes or pitfalls to be avoided. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 1

6 Before Getting Started. Clear design starts with clear thinking. Before you begin shuffling charts, graphs and photos, ask yourself this question: if the viewer carries away only one idea, what do I want it to be? Now write down your answer. This is the theme of your poster, the focal point. Everything you choose to include on your poster should support this theme. Posters tell stories. Your poster tells the viewer what you did, why you did it and what you learned from doing it. The poster should include a statement of the problem investigated, a description of the research methods used (if relevant), results or findings, and a summary. Keep your poster simple and visually uncluttered. Someone standing three feet away should quickly understand what each component is and why it is there. On a poster, columns are easier for the eye to follow than information laid out left to right. Effective communication starts with knowing who your audience is. At poster sessions there is intense competition for audience attention. In their first 3 seconds your audience will determine whether to stay and explore your content or leave. If they stay you have 30 seconds to secure their attention by conveying an overall understanding of your subject matter. Starting PowerPoint Windows 7 1. Click the Windows Start button. The Start menu appears. 2. Click All Programs. The left pane of the Start menu displays the programs and menus installed on your computer. 3. Click Microsoft Office. 4. Select Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007/2010. The PowerPoint program screen appears. Page 2 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

7 Understanding the PowerPoint Program Screen The PowerPoint program screen may seem confusing and overwhelming at first. This lesson will help you become familiar with the PowerPoint program screen as well as the new user interface. Office Button: Replaces the File menu found in previous versions of PowerPoint. Quick Access Toolbar: Contains common commands such as Save, Undo, and Print. You can add more commands as well. Title bar: Displays the name of the program you are using and the name of the presentation you are currently working on. Close button: Click here to close the current presentation. If only one presentation is open, clicking this button will close the PowerPoint program as well. Ribbon: The tabs on the Ribbon replace the menus and toolbars found in previous versions of PowerPoint. Slide pane: Displays the slide you are currently working on. Notes pane: Type any notes you want to use during a presentation here. Zoom slider: Click and drag the slider to zoom in or out of a slide. You can also use the + and buttons. View buttons: Use these buttons to quickly switch between Normal, Slide Sorter, and Slide Show views. Status bar: Displays information about your presentation, such as your current location in the presentation. Right-click the status bar to specify what information is shown. Outline tab: Focuses on the content of your presentation rather than its appearance. Use the Outline tab when you want to add large amounts of text to a presentation. Slides tab: Contains a thumbnail image of every slide in the presentation. Click a thumbnail to jump to that slide. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 3

8 Understanding the Ribbon PowerPoint provides easy access to commands through the Ribbon, which replaces the menus and toolbars found in previous versions of PowerPoint. The Ribbon keeps commands visible while you work instead of hiding them under menus or toolbars. The Ribbon is made up of three basic components: Tabs Commands are organized into tabs on the Ribbon. Each tab contains a different set of commands. There are three different types of tabs: Command tabs: These tabs appear by default whenever you open the PowerPoint program. In PowerPoint, the Home, Insert, Design, Animations, Slide Show, Review and View tabs appear by default. Command tab Contextual tab Button Group Dialog Box Launcher Contextual tabs: Contextual tabs appear whenever you perform a specific task and offer commands relative to only that task. For example, whenever you select a picture, a Picture Tools tab appears in the Ribbon. Program tabs: If you switch to a different authoring mode or view, such as Print Preview, program tabs replace the default command tabs that appear on the Ribbon. Groups The commands found on each tab are organized into groups of related commands. For example, the Font group contains commands used for formatting fonts. Click the Dialog Box Launcher ( ) in the bottom-right corner of a group to display even more commands. Buttons One way to issue a command is by clicking its button on the Ribbon. Buttons are the smallest element of the Ribbon and change color when clicked. Page 4 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

9 Selecting a layout If you don t like the layout that has been assigned to the new slide by default, choose a new one. PowerPoint gives you nine different layouts to choose from, and you can even create your own custom layouts (more on this later). The layout name tells you which types of text and/or object placeholders are included in the layout; for example, the Title and Content layout contains a title placeholder and a body text placeholder. 1. Click the Home tab on the Ribbon and click the Layout button in the Slides group. The Layout gallery appears. 2. Select the Blank layout. The new layout is applied to the slide. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 5

10 Table 1: PowerPoint Slide Layouts Title Slide Title and Content Section Header Two Content Comparison Title Only Blank Content with Caption Picture with Caption Setting up PowerPoint for A0 size It is very important to set the poster size first! Otherwise, if you work in A4 (default size) and scale up to A0, the print quality will be poor, especially for any image included. 1. Go to the Design tab on the Ribbon and click Page Setup dialog box will appear. 2. In the Slides sized for: box select Custom 3. In the Width: enter 90 and in the Height: box enter 120. In the Orientation section, make sure that Portrait is selected under Slides and click OK. Page 6 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

11 4. Go to the View tab and click Zoom. Change the Zoom level to 20% 5. Save your poster as PowerPoint presentation If working to a different size, the standard international metric paper sizes are: AO A1 A2 A x 84.1 cm 84.1 x 59.4 cm 59.4 x 42 cm 42 x 29.7 cm Displaying Drawing Guides Guides should be used to ensure text and images are aligned. They will not be printed and are not displayed in Slide Show view. For example, you can use vertical guides to create margins on the left and right or a horizontal guide to align your title and graphics at the top. 1. Right click on the blank part of the slide and select Grid and Guides. The Grid and Guides dialog box will appear. 2. select the Display drawing guides on screen option and click OK Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 7

12 To move the guides, drag them with the mouse. The distance from the centre of the slide will be displayed as you drag the guide. To duplicate the guide, hold down the Ctrl key as you drag. To delete a guide, drag it off the screen. Changing the Background Colour of Your Poster PowerPoint offers you a variety of options for backgrounds for presentations. You can simply change the colour, or you can add shading, patterns, textures or pictures. The background of your poster should not detract from the content and careful consideration should be given to the choice of colours and/or images so as to ensure that your poster is still legible. Remember that slide colour schemes that are suitable for projection are not always suitable for printing. Page 8 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

13 Applying a Gradient You can use any of the predefined PowerPoint colour schemes for your poster, or you may prefer to design your own. 1. Make sure that the Design tab is selected and move your mouse over the different options in the Themes group to see how your poster would appear using each of the themes. 2. In the Background group on the Design tab, click Background styles and select Format Background. The Format background dialog box will appear. Select Gradient fill 3. Make selection from the Preset colors, Type and Direction options. You will see the result of your selections on your slide behind the dialog box 4. Adjust the Stop position and Transparency sliders and make sure that your background will not make any text difficult to read. Click Close when you have finished. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 9

14 Adding Text to Your Poster The title of your poster is your first communication with the viewer and should clearly convey the essence of your message. As well as containing the title of your project, the poster title may also include the names of the people involved and their affiliation. The title should be readable from about three metres away and therefore should usually have a minimum font size of 40 points. Using WordArt to Create a Title WordArt allows you to create high impact text and offers a variety of styles. You can stretch, curve or rotate your text, or you can even make it 3-D or vertical. 1. Go to Insert tab and in the Text group click WordArt and choose a WordArt style from the gallery 2. A textbox will appear in the centre of your poster containing the text Your text here. Replace this text with the following title: The influence of family relationships on adolescent siblings alcohol use Click Bold button and change the font size to 72 (or larger) Page 10 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

15 3. Click the title to select it. use the four headed arrow to drag the title to the top of the poster, making sure that it is centred. If you wish to resize it you can use the drag handle that appears on the corners and sides of the WordArt. When the WordArt is selected, you will notice a Format tab under Drawing Tools will be added to the Ribbon 4. Select your text and click on the Format tab. Experiment with the different options in the WordArt Styles group or click the dialog box launcher in the WordArt Styles group to open the Format Text Effects dialog box 5. Adjust various features of your WordArt to ensure that the colours and styles used will make the text easy to read. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 11

16 Using a Text Box to Insert Text Although WordArt is useful for creating fancy text, it is not suitable for large amounts of text. Another way of inserting text is to use a Text Box. 1. Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click Text Box and then click below your main title. Enter the following text: Dr Hooky & Dr Stella Artois CLAD, University of Birmingham, UK 2. Centre the text box horizontally on the poster. 3. select the names of the authors within the text box and make them bold 4. Select all the text in the text box, make it font size 72 and centre it. Click outside of the text box to deselect it. Save your changes Inserting Text from another Program 1. Insert a new text box on the left of the poster. 2. Minimise the PowerPoint window and start the Word application by either double clicking on the Word desktop icon or go through the program menu. 3. Open the PosterText file from the network drive (the IT trainer will instruct you how to find the file). Select the first two paragraphs entitled Introduction and Sample and copy them to the clipboard (CTRL+C) 4. Minimise the Word window and maximise the PowerPoint window again 5. Click within the empty text box and press CTRL+V to paste the copied text. Page 12 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

17 6. Select all the text in the text box by clicking inside the text box and pressing CTRL+A and change the font size to 32. Make the titles Introduction and Sample font size 40. Resize and reposition the text box so that it fits within the first quarter of the poster. 7. Repeat the above procedure to copy and paste the Method and Procedure paragraph into a text box in the bottom left quarter of the poster. Make sure the text has the same formatting as outlined above. 8. Position the Results paragraph in the top right quarter and the Summary and Discussion and Conclusions paragraphs in the bottom right quarter, applying the same formatting as before. 9. Copy the Reference section and paste it into the poster. Make the text size 24 and resize the text box so that it spans the width of the bottom of the poster. The poster should resemble the picture below! Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 13

18 Using Diagrams and Images As space is limited on a poster presentation, you should use images and diagrams to explain processes or results where possible. Creating a Diagram You are now going to create a diagram in the space in the middle of the right column of your poster using the Shapes gallery. 1. Adjust the Zoom in your PowerPoint window so that the space in the right column of your poster most of your screen. 2. Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click Shapes. Choose the Rounded Rectangle shape. Page 14 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

19 3. Click when you want to place the first rectangle and drag it out to an appropriate size. 4. Go to the Home tab and change the size in the Font Size box to 40 and type Parental Alcohol Problems using the Enter key to place each word on a new line. Resize the rectangle as necessary. 5. With the rectangle still selected, go to the Format tab under Drawing Tools. Use the options in the Shape Styles group to Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 15

20 adjust features of the shape like the fill colour. 6. Right-click on the rectangle and select Copy. Right-click and select Paste. A copy of the rectangle will appear over the top of the first. Drag the new rectangle below the first, click inside it and replace the text with Poor Martial Quality. 7. Repeat this process to recreate the other rectangle as shown above. 8. Click the Arrow button on the Insert Shapes group on the Format tab and click and drag an arrow from the Parental Alcohol Problems rectangle to the Parenting OS rectangle. 9. With the arrow still selected, use the Shape Styles gallery to increase the thickness and colour of the arrow. 10. To create the other arrows, copy and paste the first arrow, resizing and repositioning each as necessary 11. To change an arrow from a solid to a dashed line, select the arrow and click on the Shape Outline button in the Shapes Styles group. Point to Dashes and choose a dash style 12. When you have finished your diagram, save your changes Aligning and Grouping You may wish to include an image such as a digital photograph on your poster. You can do this as follows: 1. from the Insert tab, select Picture in the Illustrations group 2. Navigate to the course folder and select the alcopops.jpg file and click Insert. 3. position the image above the heading Introduction and resize it as appropriate 4. Go to the Format tab under Picture Tools and in the Picture Styles group click Picture Border and select a colour for the border. A thin, dark border tends to work best around a picture Some images may become distorted when enlarged for posters. Images taken from the WWW and pictures saved as a gif file tend not to scale well. Images with a higher resolution will look better when printed so always try to use the best quality image you can. Page 16 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

21 Applying a Background Image Images can also be used as the background to your poster however this feature should be used with caution as it may be difficult to find an image that allows your text to be read easily. 1. In the Background group on the Design tab, click Background styles and select Format Background. The Format Background dialog box will appear. 2. select Picture or texture fill and click the File button under Insert from 3. In the Select Picture dialog box, navigate to the course folder and select alcohol.jpg image and click Insert. 4. click Close in the Format Background dialog box and save changes Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 17

22 Changing the Fill Colour of Text Boxes To make your text easier to read you can apply a fill colour to the text boxes or make them semi-transparent. 1. Right-click on the first text box and select Format Shape. The Format Shape dialog box will appear. 2. Make sure that Fill is selected in the list on the left and select Solid fill. 3. Select white in the Color: box and set the Transparency: level to 50%. Click Close and view the result. 4. Click on the next text box and then click again on its border to select it. Press and hold down the Ctrl key and click on the remaining text boxes to select them all simultaneously. 5. Select the Format tab under Drawing Tools and click the dialog box launcher in the Shapes Styles group to open the Format Shape dialog box. Change the Fill Colour to white and the Transparency to 50% and click and click OK. All the text boxes should now be semi-transparent. 6. View your presentation in Slide Show view by clicking the Slide Show icon in the Status bar to see the finished effect. Press the Esc key to return to Normal view when you have finished. 7. Save your changes Page 18 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

23 Using SmartArt A quick way to create basic diagrams such as flowcharts, cycle diagrams, pyramids and so on is to use the new SmartArt feature. 1. Click the Microsoft Office Button and select New. Make sure that Blank Presentation is selected and click Create. 2. Click Layout in the Slides group and change the layout to a Blank layout. 3. Go to the Insert tab and in the Illustrations group, click SmartArt. The Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box will appear. 4. Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 19

24 The Basics Each poster should have a title. The poster title is the first level of communication with the viewer. It should clearly communicate the essence of your poster. It should be readable from 15 feet away and should be bold and bright print. Background materials and graphics should have straight edges and even margins. If you are pasting separate components onto your poster, use a ruler and sharp knife to cut out charts, graphics, photos and text. Whenever possible, reinterpret text as charts, graphs or illustrations. People are able to process images an amazing 60,000 times faster than text, so aim for 30-40% of your poster to be graphic content. Illustrations and photographs should be clear and properly proportioned. Image files should be high resolution (150 dpi or higher), and tiffs or gifs are best. Using the drag-and-drop method to adjust the width or height of an image can result in distortion. It s better to resize images using commands such as, image size, scale or fit content proportionally. Connect you text to the graphic elements. If a paragraph refers to a diagram off to the side somewhere, say so! For example, Winds blowing over ocean generate waves Fig. 1). Viewers can t read small captions from a distance. Use 24-point (24pt) type or larger (captions can be 18pt; titles should be at least 85pt). Divide your information into main sections. These sections typically include: Title, Authors, Affiliations, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Conclusions, References, Acknowledgements and perhaps a photo of the author(s), and the I.D. You may also wish to provide a handout version of your poster with detailed contact information, and references. Page 20 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

25 Examples of possible combinations of Heading/Sections: Combination 1 Author/Title/Affiliation Objectives Data Sources/Settings Study Design Data Collection Principle Finding Conclusions Funding Sources Objectives Author/Title/Affiliation Study Design Principle Findings Data Sources/Settings Conclusions Data Collection Funding Sources Combination 2 Author/Title/Affiliation Objectives Methods Results Conclusions Author/Title/Affiliation Objectives Methods Results Conclusions Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 21

26 Combination 3 Author/Title/Affiliation Abstract Methods Descriptive Issues Statistical Analysis Conclusions Relevance Funding Source Abstract Methods Author/Title/Affiliation Descriptive Issues Conclusion Relevance Statistical Analysis Funding Sources Combination 4 Author/Title/Affiliati on Background Information Research Question Methods Conclusions Future Research Questions Funding Sources Background information Research Question Author/Title/Affiliation Methods Conclusions Future Research Questions Funding Sources The flow of your poster should be from top left to the bottom right. The movement of the eye over the poster should be natural (down columns or along rows). Use arrows, pointing hands, numbers or letters to clarify the sequence or flow of the poster. Some presenters will number the sections in sequence to guide the reader through the poster. Page 22 Poster Design Using PowerPoint

27 Summary Guidelines for Posters Your poster should be designed to convey the essence of your research in a clear and eye-catching way, to appeal to colleagues as well as nonspecialists. The ideal poster will: Attract passers-by to stop and take an interest Make a good impression. Enable the viewer to remember key details of your research (what, why, how who?) Encourage viewers to contact you for more information about your research. Viewing distance You should ensure that your poster can be read clearly from a distance of 2 metre or more. Viewing time It should be possible for the viewer to absorb the general information in your poster in a short time (up to 3 minutes) Title Clarity Colour Message Relevance Images Graphics General tips on how to present your poster Should be meaningful but not complicated. Try not to baffle the readers (especially the non-specialists Your display should be visually clear and easy to follow, with a clear description of the aims and method. Good use of colour is helpful. Even if the majority of material is in black and white it is important to highlight with colour. However, bear in mind that too much colour can be visually confusing Ensure that the general overview of the poster is clear, and that the more detailed information is not too complex. Demonstrate how your research fits in with the world as a whole, to help viewers relate to it. Make sure the images you use are clear and of good quality These must be sharp and relevant to the presentation. Charts, drawings and illustrations should be simpler and more heavily Poster Design Using PowerPoint Page 23

28 Font-style and size Grouping Layout/flow Borders Contributors Contact point Summary drawn than those you would use for slides. Use colour is encourages to add emphasis effectively. Be constituent in your choice of font, limiting yourself to one or two. Ensure that the font size is legible from the indicated viewing distance Text and graphics should be grouped together in relevant and visually stimulating sets Guide the viewer s eye in an orderly way. Ensure that there is a logical path of items to be followed. It may be appropriate to link sections with lines and arrows Adding an outer border to your poster, and bordering any sections contained within, generally helps define your display clearly. Identify any contributors other than those shown at the top of your display Provide your contact details to encourage people to find out more about your research. This could involve adding leaflets or cards for readers to take with them. A concise summary may be useful. This could be done by giving a set of key points Window pane effect Sparseness Clutter Try to avoid Straight rows and columns of information are not visually stimulating especially if the size and content of each appears similar, giving a window-pane effect. Use a pattern of sections this need not be regular. Make sure that enough information is included on the poster. Don t make up for lack of information by using exceptionally large fonts and figures. Conversely, avoid having so much information that the sections presented are unable to stand apart. Too much detail Don t be tempted to include all you know on the subject remember that the viewer has a limited time to look at your poster. Irrelevant detail Try to avoid inappropriate side issues that may detract from the main subject Page 24 Poster Design Using PowerPoint