Check list
Will it be useful as a networking tool?
Your poster should NOT be a journal article glued on the wall. Instead, it is a billboard showcasing your ideas, project & work in progress, sending an invitation to discussion & interaction.
Does it have a clear main message?
Is every component there to support this main message?
Resources
A Poster Guide for Ph.D. Students
By Olle Bergman and Dorota Paczesniak
A quick guide on how to prepare a great poster to disseminate your work in progress, intrigue your peers and create new networking possibilities. Work in progress by Olle Bergman and & Dr. Dorota Paczesniak of Crastina.
[Link]
The Scientific Conference Guide (Or, How to Make the Most of Your Free Holiday)
By Kat Arney
So far the best resource for improving poster presentations, run by Dr. Zen Faulkes who is an Associate Professor of Biology at The University of Texas-Pan American. It lists 600 blog posts from 2009 until present.
[Link]
Designing conference posters
By Colin Purrington
A hands-on tutorial from evolutionary biologist Dr. Colin Purrington. A part of the Academic Tips on his huge website.
Tips for a readable POSTER
By Ned Carter & Kenneth Nilsson
Fifteen years ago, Ned Carter and Kenneth Nilsson of Uppsala University, had very progressive ideas about poster design. This two-page pdf is still a very useful document.
How to design an award-winning conference poster
By Tullio Rossi
A concise and very useful tutorial.
How to create a beautiful scientific poster
By Pieter Torrez
Pieter Torrez, biologist and graphic designer, shares some of his secrets.
Refining layout, design and finish
Is the purpose of the study clear? If there were conclusions, are they also clear?
Is there a clear entry point?
Does it give an harmonic impression?
Is text and visual elements big enough to be read from a distance?
Is there an apparent hierarchy and flow of information?
Does it give a credible impression?
Is it interesting enough to make the contacts you seek stop and start studying it?
Designing graphs
Basic graphic design
- The Big Four: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity
A sample chapter from Garr Reynolds’ book Presentation Zen.