Creating Effective Research Posters
The information below provides suggestions for making an effective research poster presentation. It was adapted from an article by Lorrie Faith Cranor in ACM Crossroads, Volume 3, Number 2.
Content
- Include a clear and succinct statement of the problem, phrased for the intelligent layperson.
- Give a brief summary of the results, perhaps as a bulleted list.
- Another bulleted list could highlight the significance (or non-significance) of the results.
- Don't present the entire project or article.
- Tailor the presentation to the audience:
- How much will the reader understand?
- Does the reader have a background in computer science?
- In your general area of computer science? (e.g. networks)
- In your specific problem? (e.g. algorithms to measure throughput)
- Aim for the reader to understand the important points of your project after three minutes of unassisted reading.
- Use diagrams, graphs, and pictures in place of words.
Presentation
- Have copies of your article or report available for interested persons.
- Make your contact information available for anyone wishing to reach you.
Graphical Design
- Use color consistently:
- Do not use more than four different colors.
- Use a dark color such as black or deep blue for your main text.
- Use a bright color such as red or magenta for important text.
- Use a contrasting color for headings and bullets.
- Make entire elements stand out or identify them as part of a group by filling them with a light-colored background or surrounding them with a brightly colored border distinguish each section of your poster (for example, problem, background, approach, and results) or to indicate the importance of each item.
- Indicate the flow of information -- the order in which the reader might best proceed from one poster element to another. The use of arrows or ribbons is often helpful.
- Present a coherent whole in an inviting manner.
- Use boxes and groups of boxes to organize material. Apply the concept of "chunking".
- Use large fonts (>= 30pts). The reader should be able to stand one meter from the board and read the poster easily.