Tips to Enhance Poster Presentations
Time and Effort
The Poster Session is NOT an easy way out of giving a speech.
Poster sessions require ten times the amount of work imagined. Once
the research for a speech is completed, you must still print out,
mount, and display the work for a Poster Session.
Inspiration Where the competition
is keen, you must pay attention to all aspects of your presentation.
If your work is intelligent but poorly communicated, it will be
ignored. Communication is the key to why there is graphic art.
Intent Keep it simple. Offer just
enough to have them clamoring for more. Don't overwhelm with too
much information.
Art in the Science of Color
•Use complementary colors, not matching colors. Cool colors
recede and are known as calming. Warm colors advance and are known
as aggressive.
•It is often useful to use complementary colors when you mount
your sheets of paper on mat board.
Composition or Arrangement
• "Everything that is beautiful is orderly, and there
can be no order unless things are in their right arrangement to
each other" (Robert Henri, art teacher/painter, 1920s).
� Compose your work to best illustrate the idea you wish to
convey. The eye should be led to the central theme. Generally, your
poster should include, if applicable, Title, Purpose, Hypothesis,
Materials, Review of Related Research, Procedure/Methodology, Tables
and Graphs, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments/References.
• You should set up your poster so that the reader moves from left top corner- down, then center-down, then right-down, ending at the right bottom corner.
• Try to see both the negative and positive spaces of your
layout. Each carries similar importance.
• Symmetry is a good rule; however, in art, rules are made
to be broken. Knowledge of the rules is necessary in order to break
them successfully.
• Visual illustrations: allow a larger margin at the bottom.
• Use appropriate media for the message. Ex: Don't use Spanish
Round Gothic calligraphy for a high-tech product.
• Limit the typefaces used in a Poster Session. The general
rule is not over three. Some recommended fonts are: Times New Roman,
Arial, or Helvetica. Bold is good to use for headings. Font size
suggested: 30pt for Heading and 20 for text. Remember your audience
may be 3-4 feet away while reading the poster.
Attaching the paper: Spraymount
or Photomount - rubber cement or glue stick will curl paper and
release the hold if you change climates or humidity. Use adequate
ventilation for any of these products.
Mistakes Made Most Often Haste,
poor color choices, excessive verbosity, poor arrangement/layout.
Poster Guidelines and Set-Up Bring
your poster- ready to go- on either a single large sheet or multiple
sheets (8 ½” by 11” sheets of paper). Plan to
arrive at least 15 minutes early to set up your poster.
Presentation As attendees visit
your poster, be ready to give a short presentation of your work
(no more than several minutes) in addition to answering questions.
Most likely, you will repeat your overall description several times
as attendees pass through. You should practice this short presentation
several times with your faculty advisor (who represents a specialist
audience) and with your friends (who represent a general audience)
to be sure you are communicating effectively. It is also useful
to have a one-page handout for the attendees with a short summary
of your work and contact information.
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