Creating conference posters: Structure, form and content

Abstract

This article aims to provide an overview of the form, structure and content of conference posters for researchers who intend to submit an academic poster to a conference. It focuses in particular on the design and layout of academic conference posters, making some suggestions for possible poster layouts. It also provides information about factors influencing conference selection. Finally, it summarises some top tips to be considered when creating a conference poster such as font selection and use of images.

The “wall of text” visual structure of academic conference posters

“…Writing about conference posters is often focused on recommending best practices (Block, 1996;Erren and Bourne, 2007;Barker and Phillips, 2021;Faulkes, 2021;Wang et al, 2022) rather than documenting the common practices used in conference posters "on the ground." This may be because posters are considered ephemeral "first drafts" of research that people expect will be published in journals later.…”

“…I further hypothesized that because of journal's emphasis on text plus a lack of graphic design experience, many posters would not follow best practices in graphic design. Best practices for posters (Block, 1996;Erren and Bourne, 2007;Barker and Phillips, 2021;Faulkes, 2021;Wang et al, 2022) generally include: large text; low word count (allowing larger text and more visuals); no abstract (because the poster is self-contained); a grid-based layout of columns or rows; no tables (graphs are more visual and easier to read at a distance); no logos in the same area as the title (competes for attention with title). Not following these practices can readily result in a "wall of text" poster that is ineffective as a graphic display.…”

Tables, Figures, and Graphs—Oh My

“…For posters and slides, the presenter has much more leeway and should consider the aesthetic aspect of the data presentation. [3][4][5] When creating slides or posters, do not underestimate the aesthetic appeal of your visual display of data. Best practice includes the symmetry of the table, the effective use of white space, and prudent use of color.…”

Creating a conference poster: Out with the old and in with the new, moving from the traditional to the improved modern poster format

“…It is important to carefully consider and select the colour scheme for a poster. Using colour can help to make the poster more visually pleasing for the target audience, however the use of excess colour should be avoided and the colour of the text should not impact on ease of reading 4 . Certain colours are difficult to read; for example, lighter tones should be avoided.…”

“…In terms of structure, posters will follow a similar layout to research papers, with background, methods, results, and conclusion being presented. 4 However, in contrast to research papers, posters have a much smaller word count. This can be a challenge to convey the key points from a research study with so few words.…”