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Most undergraduate researchers who present their work at a forum will want to create a poster to describe and share their research. The following guidelines provide a basic framework for creating a poster. While most have the same basic framework and flow, your creativity is a key element for creating a dynamic poster.
Step Three: Design Your Poster
Poster-making advice from undergrads who’ve been there, done that...
- Start at least two months before your deadline, and set your own due date at least a week before the presentation.
- Give yourself plenty of time to create a poster, from start to final printing. Allow ample time to proofread, edit and revise.
- If you know someone who has already created a research poster, ask for their file to get you started. Poking around in their file can give you good ideas for your poster.
- Make the results the focal point of your presentation.
- Know your methodology and data backwards and forwards. No one will believe anything you say if they doubt your data.
- Concentrate on the main points you want the viewer to walk away with. Scrutinize your graphs and images. Don’t intimidate the viewer with jargon and complicated graphics. You want your audience to learn and appreciate the material without making them feel like they also need two years of immersion in the data to really understand it all.
- Save your poster as a PDF before printing and double check that all of your alignments are correct. Sometimes the printer can shift alignments slightly and there is nothing worse then spending a lot of time and money on a poster to find out that it printed a differently than you planned.
- Put a thin black border around all of your pictures otherwise the edges look fuzzy.
- Remember people who are color blind when making a presentation. Using different hues isn't enough; you must use different patterns and contrasts in brightness to ensure everyone can understand your graphs and tables.
- Ask the printer for a full-size proof before printing your final version. A full-size draft is great for finding mistakes and to practice presenting.
- Practice a presentation for those in your field and to those who only have a basic knowledge of your research topic.
- Do not print your poster at the last minute.
- Double check everything!
To add your own advice for future students, email uro@osu.edu.
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