Communicating your research with posters

In this tutorial you will:

Next: Practical Requirements

They present a quick overview of a research project. They also communicate the major points and findings. You might present a poster at a conference, a research symposium, or see posters hanging outside of faculty offices and research labs.

This tutorial was developed by the University of Minnesota Libraries. For disability accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, contact us at libid@umn.edu. Content in this tutorial is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) except for images of the UMN poster fair, which are copyright © 2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The icons throughout are from the Noun Project, so you will need a license from there to reuse those. Sample posters can be found in the University of Minnesota Libraries Digital Conservancy:Poster 1Poster 2Poster 3

Posters are a common way to communicate research.

Recognize practical requirements and parameters for research posters. Recognize and apply design elements used in creating a research poster. Explore the tools and resources available to create posters.

About this tutorial

Why make a poster?

Communicating your research with posters

This tutorial was developed by the University of Minnesota Libraries. For disability accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, contact us at libid@umn.edu. Content in this tutorial is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) except for the two images of the UMN poster fair, which are copyright © 2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The icons throughout are from the Noun Project, so you will need a license from there to reuse those. Posters used in this tutorial can be found on the University of Minnesota Libraries Digital Conservancy:Open in new window: Poster 1: Using What you Collect: Library Data and Student SuccessOpen in new window: Poster 2: Teaching The Publication Process: Road To Collaboration at UMNOpen in new window: Poster 3: Science Boot Camp: Supporting Interdisciplinary Research

Next: Practical Requirements

Why make a poster? Posters are a common way to communicate research. They present a quick overview of a research project and communicate the major points and findings. You might present a poster at a conference, a research symposium, or see posters hanging outside of faculty offices and research labs.

About this tutorial

In this tutorial you will: Recognize practical requirements and parameters for research posters.Recognize and apply design elements used in creating a research poster.Explore the tools and resources available to create posters.

About this tutorial

HomePractical requirementsDesign ConsiderationsRate Poster 1Rate Poster 2Rate Poster 3Review

Identify your main message and position it prominently so your audience notices it first. Content can be arranged in various ways including columns, in a circle, or like a flow chart.

Images

Next: Rate some posters!

Crowding your content makes it difficult to read. At least one third of your poster should be negative space.

Excel has more robust charting tools and gives you more control over your data.

Arrange information strategically to lead the reader through the progress of your research.

Negative space

Back: Practical requirements

Use Excel or other software to create visually engaging graphs and import them into PowerPoint.

Create a color palette of 2-3 complementing and contrasting colors.

Font sizing helps create visual order in your poster.

Posters are a visual medium. Find visual ways to represent your information like charts, graphs, or images.

Any text of the same magnitude should be sized the same. For example the sub-headers would all be sized about 40pt. Headers should be 90pt-150pt. It is important to choose an easy-to-read font style for your poster. Avoid using more than two fonts.Fonts That Pair Well

Communicating your research with posters

Focus and flow

Graphs

Now let’s discuss the design of the poster - what should you be aware of? The following considerations can greatly improve the readability of your poster.

Be sure to clearly label these items: x-axis, y-axis, and add titles.

Colors

Fonts

Alternatives to text

Never scale an image up (see example) - images lose quality and become pixelated when you make them larger. For example, Wikimedia may let you choose very large versions of an image.

Use the largest image size you can find and scale it down to fit.

Design Considerations

It may also be worthwhile to use your school colors. Color palettes can be based on included images, too. Eye-pleasing palettes can be created using free tools:Color Wheel from AdobeColourlovers.comColor Contrast Checker

Arrange information strategically to lead the reader through the progress of your research. Identify your main message and position it prominently so your audience notices it first.

Use the largest image size you can find and scale it down to fit. Never scale an image up (see example) - images lose quality and become pixelated when you make them larger. For example, Wikimedia may let you choose very large versions of an image.

Graphs

Design considerations Now let’s discuss the design of the poster - what should you be aware of? The following considerations can greatly improve the readability of your poster.

Negative space refers to areas of your poster that you intentionally leave empty. Crowding your content makes it difficult to read. At least one third of your poster should be negative space.

Font sizing helps create visual order in your poster. Any text of the same magnitude should be sized the same. For example the subheaders would all be sized about 40pt. Headers should be 90pt-150pt.

Alternatives to text

Next: Rate some posters!

Content can be arranged in various ways including columns, in a circle, or like a flow chart.

Use Excel or other software to create visually engaging graphs and import them into PowerPoint. Excel has more robust charting tools and gives you more control over your data.

Images

Back: Practical requirements

It is important to choose an easy-to-read font style for your poster. Avoid using more than two fonts. Fonts That Pair Well (opens in new window)

Create a color palette of 2-3 complementing and contrasting colors. It may also be worthwhile to use your school colors. Color palettes can be based on included images, too. Eye-pleasing palettes can be created using free tools:Color Wheel from Adobe (opens in new window)Colourlovers.com (opens in new window)Color Contrast Checker (opens in new window)

Fonts

Focus and flow

Posters are a visual medium. Find visual ways to represent your information like charts, graphs, or images. Be sure to clearly label these items: x-axis, y-axis, and add titles.

Negative space

Communicating your research with posters

Colors

Look at those graphs! They are wonderful!

This poster is a bit crowded, although it’s OK on the eyes.

Poor

We think the colors contrast really well, making it easy to read.

Great!

Yes! This poster is great at using non-text to communicate.

We think the fonts have clear headers and subheaders. “Great!"

We agree. This poster does an OK job of using images (they’re small).

Is it good design? You decide! Based on the design considerations we just covered, rate each of these posters. Once you make a choice, you will see how the experts rated that design element.

We agree! The colors contrast well, making it easy to read.

We think this poster has great focus and flow - it’s very easy to follow.

Rate some posters: Poster 1

We agree - look at those graphs! They are wonderful!

Next: Rate Poster 2

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 1 for access to a larger version (opens in new window)

In our opinion this poster is great at using non-text to communicate.

We think this poster does an OK job of using images (they’re small).

We think this poster is a bit crowded, although it’s OK on the eyes.

Back: Design Considerations

Look at those graphs! They are wonderful!

We agree! The fonts have clear headers and subheaders.

We agree! This poster has great focus and flow. It’s very easy to follow.

Use of images

In our opinion this poster is great at using non-text to communicate.

Yes! This poster is a bit crowded, although it’s OK on the eyes.

We think this poster does an OK job of using images (they’re small).

We think the fonts have clear headers and subheaders. “Great!"

Contrasting colors

We think this poster has great focus and flow - it’s very easy to follow.

Is it a good design? You decide! Rate each of these posters based on: contrasting colors, fonts, focus and flow, negative space, use of images, alternatives to text, and graphs.

Next: Rate second poster

Design feature Expert rating Contrasting colors Poor OK Great! Fonts Poor OK Great! Focus and flow Poor OK Great! Negative space Poor OK Great! Use of Images Poor OK Great! Alternatives to text Poor OK Great! Graphs Poor OK Great!

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 1 for access to more information on this poster including a PDF version (opens in a new window)

Design feature Your rating Contrasting colors Poor OK Great! Fonts Poor OK Great! Focus and flow Poor OK Great! Negative space Poor OK Great! Use of Images Poor OK Great! Alternatives to text Poor OK Great! Graphs Poor OK Great!

Once you’ve made your choices, choose submit to see how the experts rated them.

Back: Design considerations

Submit your ratings and see what the experts think (we added notes to the poster above, too!

Rate some posters - Poster 1

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 2 for access to a larger version (opens in new window)

Poster 2

In our opinion there’s an OK use of alternatives to text.

We agree. Images and other design choices are OK alternatives to text.

The poster doesn’t use font sizing to lead the reader through the content. Lots of tiny crowded boxes, too.

Another OK - images are more decorative and low quality.

We agree: there’s an OK amount of negative space to make this easy to look at.

There’s an OK amount of negative space to make this easy to look at.

Wait! There are no graphs! Although maybe the content isn’t graph-able?

Is it good design? You decide!

In our opinion there’s an OK use of alternatives to text.

There are no graphs! Although maybe the content isn’t graph-able?

Back: Rate Poster 1

Next: Rate Poster 3

We think more “OK" - images are decorative and low quality.

There’s an OK amount of negative space to make this easy to look at.

We think there’s OK focus and flow - but it’s hard to tell what the main points are.

Agreed! There’s OK focus and flow - but it’s hard to tell what the main points are.

We agree: the poster doesn’t use font sizing to lead the reader through the content. Lots of tiny crowded boxes, too.

Agree! There are no graphs! Although maybe the content isn’t graph-able?

Agree! An OK use of images, mostly for decoration.

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 2 for access to more information on this poster including a PDF version (opens in a new window)

Poster 2

Next: Rate third poster

Back: Rate first poster

We think this is “OK” - the main message isn’t clearly arranged but the path is clear.

In our opinion the images are nice and help illustrate the poster topic. Great!

Back: Poster 2

Agreed! This poster is great at incorporating images, icons, graphs and other visual features.

We really liked the use of color to fill negative space. Great!

Agreed! There’s OK focus and flow - but it’s hard to tell what the main points are.

Next: Review

Poster 3

We think this poster is OK with it’s fonts. Some are very small and would be hard to read from a distance.

We agree! The use of color to fill negative space is a great idea.

This poster is great at incorporating images, icons, graphs and other visual features.

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 3 for access to a larger version (opens in new window)

Yes! We think the graphs included are great: clearly labeled and arranged.

We agree! The images are nice and help illustrate the poster topic.

Agree. We think this poster is OK with it’s fonts. Some are very small and would be hard to read from a distance.

We think the graphs included are great: clearly labeled and arranged.

Poster 3

Back: Rate second poster

Next: Review this lesson

Go to the University Digital Conservancy site for poster 3 for access to more information on this poster including a PDF version (opens in a new window)

Communicating your research with posters

Back: Rate Poster 3

Return to Introduction

You are now able to:

Review

You are now able to: Recognize practical requirements and parameters for research posters.Recognize and apply design elements used in creating a research poster.Explore the tools and resources available to create posters.

Back: Rate third poster

Home

You may use your own images freely.Flickr.com Creative CommonsWikimedia.org Commons

There are many templates to help you get started. Check out these sites:PosterPresentations.comPostersession.com

Use and attribute images that are Creative Commons from Flickr, or find images on Wikimedia.

Using images

Make a list of requirements for your poster.

Know your audience and adapt your message to them.

Does your audience have general knowledge of your poster topic? Or are they experts in your field?

There is other software available such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. Your university may offer free or reduced-price software.

Practical requirements

Next: Design considerations

You will need to attribute all media and content you use that is not yours.

Requirements can include:physical size limitationsuse of logos or colorswhat your poster can be mounted onrequired sections (e.g. Abstract)

You can design your own poster although many people use a template.

If you use images or content that you didn’t create, are not Creative Commons, and are not public domain, they are most likely protected by copyright.

Know your audience

You will need to choose other content or get permission by the original creator.Review copyright basics for more information

Back: Introduction

Templates

Software

Before you get started it's important to consider the following practical requirements.

Public domain content does not need to be attributed.Attributing Creative Commons content

Attribution

Most researchers use PowerPoint to create posters.

Requirements

Does your audience have general knowledge of your poster topic? Or are they experts in your field? Make a poster your audience will understand.

You will need to attribute all media and content you use that is not yours. Public domain content does not need to be attributed. Attributing Creative Commons content (opens in new window)

Most researchers use PowerPoint to create posters. There is other software available such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. Your university may offer free or reduced-price software.

Know your audience

If you use images or content that you didn’t create, are not Creative Commons, and are not public domain, they are most likely protected by copyright. You will need to choose other content or get permission by the original creator. Review copyright basics for more information (opens in new window)

Requirements

Next: Design Considerations

Templates

Software

You can design your own poster although many people use a template. There are many templates to help you get started. Check out these sites: PosterPresentations.com (opens in new window)Postersession.com (opens in new window)

Back: Introduction

Practical requirements Before you get started it's important to consider these practical requirements.

Make a list of requirements for your poster. These can include: physical size limitationsuse of logos or colorswhat your poster can be mounted onrequired sections (e.g. Abstract)

Attribution

Use and attribute images that are Creative Commons, or find images on Wikimedia. You may use your own images freely. Flickr.com Creative Commons (opens in new window)Wikimedia.org Commons (opens in new window)

Using images