Designing Research Posters Meagan Kittle Autry, Ph.D. February 29, 2016 ENG 626
Basics of poster design Graphic: Pictures, graphs, figures tell the story Don t bog down your viewers with too much text Ordered: Use the basic logic your viewers will understand; make the sections easy to follow Logical flow: Left to right 2-3 columns Focused: Your whole project will not fit on the poster, so choose content with care
Poster Title Informative Precise No more than two lines So, it does not have to be your full project title! Accompanying information is included: Co-authors, university affiliation, funding source (if applicable)
Text font Choose a font that is legible when the size is large Eg. Arial is better than Times New Roman Main title: Suggested size is 70-80pt. font Section Headings: 54pt.+ Need to be large enough to draw the viewer s eye in Text: Minimum 30pt
Whitespace Whitespace is the empty space between textual elements (words, images, lines, etc.) that allows the eye to rest between looking at features. Good design requires whitespace People need to visually rest their eyes so they can process all parts of your poster This requires minimal wording: work hard to use only the most necessary text
Poster Graphics Think of a visual theme connected to your work Use simple and clean figures that focus on your data Captions should give the viewer a quick understanding 2D graphs are preferable (use 3D graphs with caution) Do not use background color or watermarks Lines and boxes can separate different sections Color-blocked headings can be particularly attractive and visually helpful for readers
Tables Should be easy to read from afar Informative: Use when the specific data point/result is the most important thing to convey (and not a trend or relationship between data) To the point, but still self explanatory Title and caption should cover key information The reader should not have to search the poster in order to find a better explanation
Color scheme KISS: Keep It Simple, Scholars General rule: Two main colors at most Black and white don t count When possible or if you don t know which color scheme to choose stay on brand with the university
NC State University Brand brand.ncsu.edu Only acceptable logo: NC State brick Not: Chancellor s seal or block S Core color palette: Wolfpack Red, Wolfpack Black, and Wolfpack White Accent grays for two-color design Expanded palette includes 6 additional colors Main fonts: Univers and Arial
Research talk to accompany poster Research symposium: 3-5 minutes in front of judges Draw in their attention: Begin with a question This could also be your poster title/subtitle Motivation is important: What are you contributing to your field? Focus on results and implications for your area of study The poster is an aid: You are the focus
Keys to a Good Talk: Content Keep it focused: Your whole project won t fit in one talk Consider your audience: Why are they here to listen to you? Offer a preview of your argument at the beginning, and summarize your main takeaway at the end Make your strongest points first and last
Creating Your Poster Sketch layout on paper first, including main sections Most popular program: Powerpoint Also can use: Adobe Indesign or Illustrator; Microsoft Publisher Set document layout to height and width of your poster Check printer capabilities before setting Print a rough draft (if possible) to catch spelling, color, and layout issues
Tips from Judges & Winners It takes much longer than you realize to create your poster! Keep your message simple: Choose one key element from your research Practice, practice, practice your talk: Confidence is key Have fun! The Symposium is a day to celebrate all the hard work graduate students do in their research
Resources for Poster Design How to: www.ncsu.edu/project/posters Previous winners posters: www.ncsu.edu/grad/research/symposium.html NC State brand guidelines: brand.ncsu.edu Check with your college s IT department to see if they offer printing for your poster
Questions?