1. Designing a conference poster
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2. Purpose of a conference poster
Describe your research concisely and clearly*
*Clearly: must be readable at 1.5 metres distance!
Leave the reader with an understanding of what you did, why you did it, and what you found out
Build on the Abstract submitted when registering

3. Designing the poster - 1
Check instructions for maximum size; contact the organisers if this is not clear - e.g. does ‘1 metre x 2 metres’ mean this* or this?
(*usually)
Title & authors (as Abstract), with Logos and Author’s photo(?)
Use a simple ‘format’ with headings, e.g.-
Aims (in brief)
Significance or Background of the research (in brief)
Methods (in brief)
Results (use subheadings as necessary)
Conclusions (the ‘take-home’ story)
Literature cited (if any; keep the list short!)
Acknowledgments (who pays for your research?)

4. Designing the poster - 2
You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly posters at the conference!) So:
Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)
Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’
Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.
No coloured background that distracts the reader

5. Poor colour/background combinations
Poor colour/background combinations - especially with small type
Distracting background
Poor colour/background combinations - especially with different coloured print
Poor colour/background combinations - especially with small type
No background is much better than poor background

6. Designing the poster - 2 (continued)
You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly posters at the conference!) So:
Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)
Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’
Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.
No coloured background that distracts the reader
Include only essential results (no complicated Tables or Figures that take a long time to understand)

7. A sample Table
Table 1. Effects of Ca addition on mean K and Na content of shoots of two varieties of barley (Adelaide and Brisbane). Values are mol g-1 (fresh weight); n = 4. Different superscripts in the same columns indicate significant differences (P >0.05%).
Treatment Adelaide Brisbane
K Na K Na
Low salt, -Ca a a a a
Low salt, +Ca a a a a
High salt, -Ca b b b b
High salt, +Ca c a c c

8. The same Table This version takes up the same amount of space
Table 1. Effects of Ca addition on mean K and Na content of
shoots of two varieties of barley (Adelaide and Brisbane).
Values are mol g-1 (fresh weight); n = 4.
Treatment Adelaide Brisbane
K Na K Na
Low salt, -Ca 75.3a 21.5a 70.0a 16.9a
Low salt, +Ca 71.8a 26.3a 65.4a 17.1a
High salt, -Ca 23.1b 87.4b 13.7b 109.7b
High salt, +Ca 53.9c 24.8a 25.9c 87.3c
Different superscripts in the same columns indicate significant differences (P >0.05%)
This version takes up the same amount of space
Important effects are highlighted

9. Designing the poster - 2 (continued)
You need to ‘attract’ the reader (possibly posters at the conference!) So:
Keep type size large and easily read (not like this)
Keep the poster ‘uncluttered’
Allow the eye to travel easily through the poster - do not have many columns of text, or poorly placed text boxes, Tables or Figures. Figures have more impact.
No coloured background that distracts the reader
Include only essential results (no complicated Tables or Figures that take a long time to understand)
Make the take- home message very clear!

10. A simple poster format - not to scale
Title of the poster in a large size of type
Authors & addresses in smaller type
logo
Photo
More Results
More data
Caption & summary
Conclusions
can be dot points
length depends on ‘Results’
can be highlighted
References (if any; in small type)
Acknowledgments (in small type)
Aims
Up to say 5 lines of text
Significance
up to say 10 lines of text
Methods
As necessary, in smaller type
Results
Data
Caption & summary
‘Landscape’ format 3 columns only

11. Poster as separate panels - not to scale
Title of the poster in large type
Authors & addresses smaller type
Photo
logo
More Results
More data
Caption & summary
Aims
Up to say 5 lines of text
Significance
up to say 10 lines of text
Panels can be split into 2 panels 
for easy carrying
Methods
as necessary in smaller type
Conclusions
can be dot points
length depends on ‘Results’
can be highlighted
References (if any; in small type)
Acknowledgments (in small type)
Printed in black & white on coloured paper: not many paper colours!
Results
Data
Caption & summary

12. Poster as separate panels - not to scale
Title of poster in large type
Authors & addresses
Photo
logo
More Results
More data
Caption & summary
Aims
Up to say 5 lines of text
Significance
up to say 10 lines of text
Methods
as necessary in smaller type
Conclusions
can be dot points
length depends on ‘Results’
can be highlighted
References (if any; in small type)
Acknowledgments (in small type)
Results
Data
Caption & summary
Panels are printed on white paper, stuck on coloured backing sheets

13. A4 ‘mini-posters’ Very useful to take copies to the conference
Print the poster as an A4 page
If the poster is made up from panels, copy them in reduced size to make an A4 page
Print in colour if possible - if not, black & white OK (though photographs may not be clear)
The poster should be readable in A4 size (even in black & white)
If it isn’t, it is probably too ‘cluttered’ even in full size!
See the examples provided

14. Posters: checklist for quality
Is the poster (full-size or mini-poster) easily readable?
Are the Aims of the research obvious?
Do Tables & Figures give only the essential information (or too much)?
Does the coloured ‘background’ (if any) make the poster difficult to read?
Are the Conclusions obvious?
Does the poster give a good visual impression as a whole?

15. The conference - 1 Pack the poster carefully - tube or suitcase
Remember the mini-posters - e.g copies (depends on the size of the conference)
Take your own pins and ‘velcro’ - especially if you are taking panels; also scissors (in your suitcase) and sticky tape.
Whitener or white tape and a black pen are useful if you see mistakes when the poster is up (quite common!)

16. Poster Sessions (not all conferences)
The conference - 2
Poster Sessions (not all conferences)
Author stands by poster at times given in the program
Good contact with conference delegates
Can be more useful than talks
Mini-talks (not all conferences)
Invitation in advance
Up to 5 minutes to summarise the poster
Not more than a Title-&-Authors slide and 2 more: e.g. 1) Aims & Significance; 2) some key Results & main Conclusions.

17. After the conference The poster is a lasting record of your research
Display in your institute and show visitors
If the institute wishes to build up a collection for display, it helps to use a consistent style of poster presentation (use the same ‘template’)
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