How to make a poster

1
How to make a poster

• Hugh Possingham and
• Emily Nicholson
• The Ecology Centre
• www.uq.edu.au/spatialecology

2
Overview

1. We are all equally insignificant
2. You are only as clever as you appear
3. The three levels of communication
4. Three ways to describe a model
5. Use simple plain English, no jargon, no acronyms,
   minimise symbols
6. Dont clutter
7. Have a happy smiley face

3
We are all equally insignificant

• What do you remember from your last conference?
  What ideas? What person? Anything at all?
• Conferences are the academic equivalent of the
  Regatta on Saturday night an intellectual meat
  market.
• What is a poster session all about?

4
You are only as clever as you appear

• If a mathematician solves a problem in the
  forest, and nobody is there to see the problem
  solved, was it really solved?
• All jobs involve doing something THEN TELLING
  SOMEONE WHAT YOU DID!
• In my thesis I discovered for taxi driver,
  vice-chancellor, big wig with salary for a
  post-doc

5
The three levels of communication

• Attract the punters with something big and bold,
  sexy and simple (title, picture)
• A quick scan 40 seconds should reveal the main
  one or two points. This main point could be
  separated off (like and abstract) or it could
  come from reading the paragraph headings.
• The three people in the planet that are
  interested need the detail and how to contact
  you (use cards, handout).

6
Three ways to describe a model

• Words
• Pictures
• Equations
• Different people respond to different kinds of
  communication preferably use all three (dont
  expect people to remember symbols)

7
Plain English

• If someone does not understand one sentence or
  one acronym or one word, they will probably
  change channel
• Dont include endless equations no-one will read
• You are presenting a summary if they want more
  detail, they will ask
• If you cant say something simply maybe you
  dont understand it yourself?

8
Dont clutter

• Overall the poster needs to be visually
  attractive
• Balance text with other forms of communication
• Ensure the easiest path for the eye follows the
  flow of the concepts.
• Less text is better, space is good
• Use colour sparingly for effect
• Idiot-grams are good
• Dot points are good
• Use large text (28 point) to read at 1m distance

9
Use idiot-grams
Reserve selection PVA Our approach
Defined goal represent all species risk level for one species maximise persistence
Multiple species ? ? ?
Optimise compromise ? ? ?
Amount of habitat ? ? ?
Spatial configuration generic species specific species specific
Extinction risk ? ? ?
10
Little touches

• Your photograph
• Your card
• A one-page A4 print-off of the poster to take
  away
• Happy smiley face like attracts like
• Name, address, affiliations
• Use consistent fonts (sans serif, e.g. arial,
  century gothic)

11
Idiot-grams