Visual Unity
Use visuals that will attract viewers, but also illustrate your central point(s).
Use color on your poster, but use it smartly. Use only 2 or 3 colors in easy-to-read combinations. Make use of white-balance or leave open space on your poster help delineate sections and make your poster more visually appealing (less cluttered and overwhelming to the viewer).
Designing an Effective Research Poster Workshop Slides
This presentation will give you more details about designing an effective poster.
Check with your campus librarians to see when the workshop will be offered.
Font
Be Consistent
Select at most 2-3 fonts (one for title, one for headings, and one for body text). You can also choose one font and use bold or italics for emphasis and use different sizes to differentiate between headings and body text without using a different font.
Be Clear
Left justify all text and avoid centering. Make sure to select font that are easy to read, especially at a distance. Avoid script-style or very bold fonts.
Be Brief
Keep each text books to 50 words or less. Demonstrate concepts through graphics so that you do not overwhelm viewers with walls of texts. At a poster presentation, you will also be present with the poster to help explain your research, so do not re-write your paper on your poster.
The bold text in the image helps words stand out in paragraph format.
Color
Use Color To:
- Connect ideas and sections
- Make things stand out to your viewer
- Direct viewer's eyes through the display
Color Guidelines:
- Use color contrast to show the importance of words, concepts, data, etc
- Don’t use the entire rainbow; stick to 2-3 colors maximum
- Use readable colors that will not hurt viewers eyes
- Choose colors thoughtfully with potential visual impairments in mind, like color blindness.
- Aim for simplicity in color use
Color Tools:
- ColorBrewer can help you select colors
- Color Oracle is a color blindness simulator that can help you check your poster's viewability
Color helps differentiate headings from body text and makes certain words standout.
Make sure to evaluate the visibility of the colors you choose. Which colors in this image are easy or difficult to read?
Size
Size elements apply to both text and images on your poster
- The more important something is, the larger it should be
- Use similar sized objects to group in sections or themes/ideas
- Size helps elements stand out
- Make sure that all text is large enough to read and all images are large enough to see details
Here are some examples of what size to use for various text elements on your poster.
72 point font = 1-inch high letters