What do you need to pay attention to with a poster presentation?

It is extremely likely that during your studies you’ll give a poster presentation at some point. What do you need to pay attention to and focus on for these posters? Here’s a few handy tips:

• If you can, pick a title that draws in the audience. For example: “Are PhDs dumb?”

• Give your credentials directly under the title if possible, or in easy sight.

• What is the most important information? Make this bold and don’t lose yourself in the details.

• Do not use too many different fonts and font sizes. Use easy-to-read fonts, such as san-serif. Titles should be 25mm at least, and subtitles 15mm and all other texts larger than 5mm.

• Think about the format of the poster, if possible, pair your design with the topic of your poster. For example, use background images, unusual shapes for your text boxes, utilise flow charts, pictures of your examples, and other charts. Let your audience see what you are presenting about, rather than explaining it all with words.

• Simple but elegant is often the best route for your design.

• If possible, use a contrasting color for the main points to catch the eye. Choose a text color that is still easily eligible on the background color.

• Use less than 500 words. The less, the better.

• Use bullet points, questions, quotes, pictures, illustrations, tables to get your point across.

• Try to leave some open spaces, don’t fill the entire poster.

• A poster is read from the top left to the bottom right. Follow this directions for your information. If you do stray from this direction, make it clear to the audience with arrows or numbering the text.

• Make sure your poster stands out, but also not too much. You can use some humor, but be thoughtful and careful about it. You don’t want to lose the meaning of the poster to the audience.

• Zorg dat je opvalt, maar ook weer niet té. Je kunt een beetje provoceren of humor gebruiken, maar wees daar voorzichtig mee. Je wilt niet dat je publiek om die reden aan de inhoud van je poster voorbijgaat.

• Find out if there are specific guidelines on the organisation of  your poster.

And of course, don’t forget to have fun while you stand by your poster. Brainstorm ways to draw in your audience and engage with them, there are plenty.

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