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Conference Prep Part II: Poster Design Basics

Amanda Glenn-Bradley, User Engagement Librarian & CrAFT Studio Coordinator

D. Hiden Ramsey Library at UNC Asheville

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Amanda Glenn-Bradley

User Engagement Librarian & CrAFT Studio Coordinator

D. Hiden Ramsey Library at UNC Asheville

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Outline

  • What Makes an Effective Poster?
    • Elements
    • Content
    • Design
  • How Can I Make an Effective Poster?
    • Programs (Demo)
    • Guidelines
  • Resources
  • Questions/Comments/Concerns

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What Makes an Effective Poster?

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Effective Posters: Elements

  • What is the “hook” of my topic?
    • Hook (n); a catchy combination of melody, lyrics and rhythm that stays in the listener's head
  • What do I need to present visually versus verbally?
    • Visual = the poster’s physical presentation
    • Verbal = your “elevator speech”
  • Can all attendees interact with my topic and presentation?
    • Accessibility

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Effective Posters: Content

  • What can be spoken rather than seen?
    • Visuals versus verbal
  • How do I need to present my material?
    • Title
    • Text
    • Images
    • Data visualization
  • Would a traditional or contemporary design better suit my presentation?
    • Traditional = three columns, text, graphs
    • Contemporary = more graphically centered

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Effective Posters: Design

  • What are the principles and elements of design?
    • Principles
      • Balance
      • Rhythm
      • Contrast
      • Harmony
      • Unity
    • Elements
      • Space
      • Line
      • Value
      • Texture
      • Color

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How Can I Make an Effective Poster?

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Design Programs

Downloadable Programs�(programs installed on your computer and/or tablet)

  • Microsoft PowerPoint
    • NOT WORD
  • Keynote
    • Mac Only
  • Adobe Suite
    • Illustrator, InDesign
  • Adobe Spark**

Web-Based�Programs�(e.g. web/browser based platforms that you can access from anywhere)

  • Google Slides
  • Canva
  • Piktochart
  • Infogram
    • I only recommend this for image & element design!
  • Adobe Spark**

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Design Guidelines: Size

  • Design your poster at the size you want it printed at! DO NOT choose the standard slide size when you are using PowerPoint or Google Slides.
    • Microsoft Word; File - Page Setup - Custom - Enter Size
    • Google Slides; File - Page Setup - Custom - Enter Size
  • Does your poster contain images or graphs? Make sure that they are as high quality as possible, and that you’ve looked at them at full resolution!
    • Zoom in your view to 100% of size to check for pixelation & image quality

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Design Guidelines: Images

  • Your images need to be as high of a resolution as they can to prevent pixelation.
    • Zoom in your view to 100% of size to check for pixelation & image quality.
  • Also, make sure you’re using images that are labeled for reuse; images with obvious watermarks are not a good idea at all.
    • Images you’ve created yourself
    • Public Domain
    • Creative Commons
    • Fair Use

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Design Guidelines: Visuals

  • Follow the principles and elements of design to ensure an easy to interact with poster.
    • Large boxes of small text = blobs of grey after five minutes of reading
    • Flow of information; is it logical?
  • Color is important!
    • Color/Style Guide
    • Personal Style & Aesthetics
    • Accessibility
  • Cite your materials!

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Design Guidelines: Text

  • Stick to three fonts maximum!
    • Serif
    • Sans Serif
    • Accent/Impact
  • Text size is important!
    • Important information (e.g. titles) should be readable from about 10 feet away
    • Body text should be readable from about 2-3 feet away.
  • Ease of reading is also important!
    • Bullets, headlines, and numbers
  • Cite your materials!

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Resources

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Poster Design Resources

  • Canva (Online Platform)
    • https://www.canva.com/
  • Piktochart
    • https://piktochart.com/
  • Infogram
    • https://infogram.com/
  • Adobe Spark
    • https://infogram.com/
  • Adobe Kuler

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Questions/Comments�/Concerns