Poster Designing Session

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Poster DesigningSession
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What is a poster?

• Visual description of a project
• Can depict research, assessment, evaluation
  findings
• Can depict activities in progress
• Posters take up a larger space either on a wall
  or on a table (3 X 4)
• Attendees can visit a number of posters

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Why do a poster at the retreat?

• Share approaches, lessons, and findings with
  others in Student Services
• Discuss how lessons are being used or could be
  used to improve programs
• Network with other colleagues
• Promote collaboration

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How do I know what to present?

• Focused piece of a program pick one aspect only
• Ask yourself
• What would be most interesting to those viewing
  the poster?
• What would you like to see others present?
• Is evaluation information available?
• Could this information be relevant to others?

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Content elements of an effective poster

• Title Indicate purpose if possible
• Introduction, statement of problem, need for
  project
• Method what happened, who participated
• Results lessons learned, main findings
• Discussion implications for future, possible
  implementation of findings to improve programs

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Design elements of an effective poster

• Enough information to paint a clear picture
• 5-minute rule
• Graphics
• Easy to read
• Font size
• Flow of information

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Materials

• Cardboard mount with wings (3 ft X 4 ft), or
• Corkboard backing cut 2 lateral grooves so as to
  create wings
• A can of adhesive spray
• 8 pieces (9.5 X 12) construction paper of one
  color (e.g., navy) or 8 X 11 paper to be
  juxtaposed
• 1 (20 X 6) strip of construction paper of a
  complimentary color (e.g., pine) for title

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Design Basics

• Software Power Point
• Laser printer
• Font Use Times New Roman or Arial fonts as
  opposed to fancier, albeit more interesting,
  kinds (e.g., Roman, BernhardMod BT)
• 48-font or higher for title
• 36-font or higher for author names and
  affiliations
• 24-font or higher for the body of the text

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Arranging the display

• Mount Power Point printouts onto paper of
  contrasting color (e.g., beige on navy) using
  spray adhesive.
• Paper regular glued to construction paper
• Can be laminated (Kinkos)
• Title, authors, and affiliations are centered in
  the middle of the 20 X 6 construction paper
  mount
• Could print half of the title on one page, and
  the other half on another

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Arranging the display Cont.

• Minimum of 2 border
• Pieces of white paper are secured to the 9.5 x
  12 pieces of construction paper
• Allow for border of approximately 1
• Display should be easily read by five feet away

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Style and Content

• Content is written as succinctly as possible
• Try using bullets or otherwise in point form
• This forces you into being as brief as possible
• Only highlight datadont provide an elaborate
  analysis of findings

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A picture is worth a 1,000 words

• Whenever possible, use a table or graph in lieu
  of text
• If the poster is about a program, consider a
  photograph
• Outcomes of statistics are best summarized in
  either a graph or table
• Consider the main point of the poster

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Tips for Poster Presentations

• Planning Make a small-scale sketch for visual
• Organization Left to right, top to bottom, with
  title at the top of the board
• Simplicity
• Two or three points
• Use text cautiously
• Message is clear and simple

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Tips for Poster Presentations Cont.

• Lettering
• Easily read from distance of 5 ft.
• Use bold for headings, subheadings
• Text in upper and lower case more readable
• All capitals OK for titles
• All type should be at least 24-font
• Spell Check

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Tips for Poster Presentations Cont.

• Mounting
• Paper for mounting should be sturdy
• Leave approx. 1 around artwork
• Mount pictures, graphs onto pieces of contrasting
  colors
• Mount letters on white or light-colored paper for
  best results. This can then be mounted on colored
  paper.
• Use spray adhesive to mount paper to poster
  board.

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Tips for Poster Presentations Cont.

• Handouts summarizing poster
• Bring incentives for people to stop at your
  poster (e.g., wrapped candy, pens)
• If you cannot be present, arrange for a
  substitute
• HAVE FUN!!!