Poster Training Workshop
Peter Devine
23 – 27 March 2015
Research Career Development
Institute of Educational Technology (IET)
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
www.open.ac.uk
Poster Design and Layout
Prepared by Peter Devine
What will the viewer be
looking for?
• does the poster explain your research in a clear, concise
manner that a non-subject specialist can understand?
• does it convey the reasons why you are spending three
years researching in that particular field?
• does it present your work without the use of complex
graphs and diagrams?
• is it easy to understand the order in which the text on the
poster should be read?
What will the viewer be
looking for?
• is the text size appropriate (can it be read in five minutes
from five feet away)?
• is there too much/too little text and information?
• can you answer questions about your poster and your
work when asked to by the judges/other students?
What makes a good poster?
• Carefully chosen purpose and key points
• Familiarity with audience
- Level of understanding
- Language
- Aesthetic appeal
• Clear structure
- Information hierarchy
- Definite conclusion
What makes a good poster?
• Clear navigation
- Effective layout
- Headings
- Colour coordination
• Limited but effective design
palette
- Colour scheme
- Fonts
- Typographic hierarchy
• Professionally produced
- Good colour reproduction
- High resolution images
- Quality paper
Poster layout
• Content well structured
• Consistent, simple and
legible design
Poster layout grid
• Grid forms the basis of the
page foundation
• Defines areas of content
• Directs attention
• Boundaries remain
consistent
Using typography
• Use only Arial or Times
(OU typefaces)
• Use the different weights to
emphasise headings
• Use columns to break up
large areas of text
Basic usage
• Always align type to the left
to ensure even spacing and
legibility
• Standard sentence case
should always be used
Leading (line spacing)
• Should be carefully
considered to achieve a
clean and readable look
Basic formatting
• Consistent use of space
between headers, body
copy and bullets
• Information is grouped to
ensure readability
Using a colour palette
• Use the OU Colour Palette
to bring contrast and
emphasis to your
applications
• Ten expressive colours
arranged chromatically as a
‘wheel’ to help with colour
selection
• White is also an essential
design element valued both
as a colour and spacial
component
Using complementary
colours
• Use a maximum of three
expressive colours
• Neighbouring colours on
the ‘wheel’ are good
harmonious combinations
• Any of the neutral grey
shades and black can be
used alongside the
expressive colours
Using colour with photography
• Choose colours that
complement photographs
as well as themselves
Using images at the correct
resolution
• It is important to use
images that are of a high
resolution when printing
• 300dpi (dots per inch) is the
recommended resolution
for print
Some examples of posters
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Final thoughts
• Posters should be
- Informative and not overwhelming
- Eye catching, clear and concise
- Easily interpretable as a stand-alone piece
• Include contact details
- Name, address, email/phone number
- A4 handouts of poster
• Display and presentation
- Check mounting arrangements and materials
- Have a brief talk planned for interested visitors
Software
• Use whatever application you feel most
comfortable with to get the job done
• Recommended software for layout
- PowerPoint
- Adobe InDesign
• Recommended software for illustration and image
management
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
Practical information
• A1 paper size: 594 x 841 mm
Useful links
•
•
•
•
Help choosing colour palettes: kuler.adobe.com
Tag clouds: www.tagxedo.com, www.wordle.net
Textures: www.cgtextures.com
Silhouettes: all-silhouettes.com
Printing your poster
2 options available on campus
• Central Print Services
• MCT Faculty
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Central Print Services
• http://intranet6.open.ac.uk/it/main/printing-services
• F Block, Room 36
• 01908 (6) 53014
• IT-Central-Printing-Services@open.ac.uk
Cost:
Matt paper – 90 gsm | Departmental – £4.00, Private – £10.32
Glossy paper – 190 gsm | Departmental – £10, Private – £20.40
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MCT Faculty
• mcs-a0-print-request@open.ac.uk
• Jennie Lee Building
Cost: Free – please check.
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Final Date
Final date for sending poster to central print services is
Wednesday 3rd June
Give yourself plenty of time. Don’t leave it to the last
minute.
Central Print Services sell cardboard tubes – perfect for
storing your poster until you need to display it. Check cost!
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Final file
Supply PDF files only!
PDF ensures special symbols such as greek and
mathematics are formatted correctly
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Further support
For competition information, contact –
research-training-development@open.ac.uk
For software support, contact your IT support person
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Good luck!
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