Poster Presentations: What, Why, Where, When and How

1. Poster Presentations: What, Why, Where, When and How Jeanne Le Ber, Education Services 801-585-6744 or jeannele@lib.med.utah.edu Sally Patrick, Director, Utahealthnet 801-581-6979 or spatrick@lib.med.utah.edu Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library

2. Session Goals • What is a poster presentation? • Why do a poster? • Where do you do a poster? • When do you do a poster? • How do you create and present a poster? • Content and design principles

3. What is a poster? • A visual presentation of a topic that creates an opportunity for conversation • Done on a large piece of paper or board or in an electronic format • Display options • Portability • Size considerations

4. Why do a poster? • Communicate with colleagues in a relaxed setting • Report on projects • Share research results and ideas • Educate and inform peers • Review history • Tell a story • It’s fun!

5. Where do you do a poster? • At professional meetings • In a designated place • In exhibit hall • Other conference space

6. When do you do a poster? • Generally at an annual meeting • Call for posters advertised by conference planners ahead of time • Submit abstract • Abstract accepted • Or by invitation

7. How do you do a poster? • Select meaningful topic; gather content • Organize information • Distill your message • Determine size • Use computer software • PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop or QuarkXPress • Create a design layout

8. How does an ideal poster session work? • Poster is displayed for a designated and limited time • Presenter stands near the poster to answer any questions about content • Lots of other posters • No conflict time • Handouts are optional

9. How does a poster session work? • Attendees wander through the poster aisles • They have limited time • They pick and choose • Will they stop at your poster? • 3 seconds • 30 seconds • 3 minutes

10. Will they stop? • Factors that help determine if attendees will stop, look and talk • Presenter’s enthusiasm • Content • Design

11. Content • Most important aspect • This is the story you want to tell • Content without good design may dissuade people from exploring further

12. Content • Distill the essential message • Present the data • Can a picture tell the story • Use table and charts • Less is more – edit ruthlessly

13. Design Layout • Text • Design principles • Design elements • Color • Rule: 20% (text) 40% (graphics) 40% (white space)

14. Text • Text flows left to right • Font size readable from a distance • Title > 80 pts • Subtitles > 72 pts • Subheadings > 48 pts • Body > 24 pts • Avoid all CAPS • Avoid excessive use of font styles & colors

15. DesignPrinciples • Repetition • Emphasis • Balance • Consistency

16. SPACE Use space to add emphasis, to separate Use line to separate or organize use SCALE to add emphasis use value to visually separate Design Elements • Line • Shape and form • Texture • Space • Size and scale • Value TEXTURE

17. Color is used to • Highlight • Attract • Tell the viewer where to look first • Create a mood • Group elements use colorto highlight

18. Color can be • Complimentary • Analogous • Warm • Cool

19. Demonstration • Use PowerPoint features to • establish poster size • place text boxes • effect font style and size • insert images • use draw tools • create tables and charts

20. Based on an article by: Jeanne Le Ber and Susan Roberts Creating Powerful Poster Presentations Journal of Hospital Librarianship v. 6(3) 2006 (accepted for publication)