When it comes to poster design there seven fundamentals that apply across all posters types, make the process of developing your poster easier, and ensure your poster looks professional and inspires confidence in the reader. The seven fundamentals are:
1. Guidelines
Guidelines come in many forms, and you’re likely to need to take account of more than one set of guidelines when developing your poster. Conference or meeting guidelines will be predominantly instructional, and are the primary source for guidance on the size and orientation of your poster. Organisational guidelines, which may be called a style or brand guide, typically include details about organisational colour palates and use of logos. By familiarising yourself with the relevant conference and organisational guidelines early, you won’t have to retrofit your content later.
2. Orientation
Orientation simply means whether your poster should be portrait (narrower at the top and longer at the sides) or landscape (longer at the top and shorter at the sides). You’ll also be given details of how long or short each side should be. Get them wrong and all your hard work will be wasted when your poster doesn’t fit the display boards.
3. Layout
Your layout should be determined by the purpose of your poster. A traditional text rich poster is great for sharing the details of your project and is designed to be read from start to finish, typically using multiple closely spaced text blocks. A #BetterPoster is great as a conversation starter at conferences, and uses streamlined text, colour blocking, and clear space to help the reader locate the take away message easily.
4. Logos
A logo is designed for immediate recognition and association with a product or organisation. How your organisation’s logo can be used will appear in your organisation’s style or brand guide.
5. Font
Your font choice will determine the legibility of your poster, that is, how clear it is to read. A single font should be used consistently across all sections to ensure that the presentation of your poster is visually coherent.
For a traditional poster, a minimum font size of 16 points is generally recommended, equating to text that is 20mm high. For a #BetterPoster, a larger font is recommended e.g. 126 points equating to 50mm high.
Be sure to check your organisational guidelines for their preferred font.
6. Colour
Colour can be used to draw attention to your poster, differentiate sections from one another, and generally make your poster presentation attractive. Check to confirm if your organisation has a preferred colour palate.
7. Images
Images can include pictures that convey the topic in an immediate or accessible way. Images can also include infographics as visual representations of information or data that support and reinforce the accompanying text e.g. charts, tables or diagrams.
By including these seven fundamentals in your poster design, you’ll not only have an attractive and informative poster but one that fits the space it’s to be displayed in. Just remember to check the guidelines first.
Ensure you never miss my latest writing tips by signing up to my mailing list.
#Encourage #Support #Enable