36”x48” Landscape Poster Template (Segoe UI Bold 88pts) Presenter name, Associates and Collaborators (Segoe UI Bold 50pts) Other logos here College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (Segoe UI 36pts) (Segoe UI Bold 40pts) CONTENT (Segoe UI 40pts) Purpose (Segoe UI 40pts) For Example (Segoe UI Bold 32 pts) Content is, of course, critical to creating a successful poster. Here are some key points to consider related to content. Clear Purpose - Clearly state the purpose of your poster. If you don't clearly state what your purpose is, you probably don't know what it is. And if you don't know what your purpose is, you don't know what you are trying to communicate. (Segoe UI 32 pts) It also needs to be clear to your audience. If your audience doesn't know what you are trying to communicate, they will lose interest. Relevant and Significant Your poster needs to be relevant to your intended audience, and the information in it needs to be relevant to your stated purpose. The information should be significant, or of value to your intended audience. If the information is trivial or if it is common knowledge, it is probably not worth putting it into a poster. Essential - Is all the information in the poster essential to your message? Posters are not the same as research papers. Posters are intended to boil down a project or topic to its bare essentials, not provide details or supporting documentation. If some of your information is relevant but not essential to your main points, don't include it. Consider putting non-essential "nice to know" information in a supplementary handout. (Segoe UI 40pts) Create a Poster (Segoe UI 40pts) Organized (Segoe UI 32 pts) A poster is typically broken into columns. the tops of the columns should be aligned with each other, and the sections in each column should be left justified so that each paragraph is exactly at the left edge of the column. Align graphics where possible. For example, you could align the top edge of a photo in one column with the bottom edge of a diagram in another column. Balance and spacing - Distribute the content and images in the poster so that it looks balanced. Strive to achieve an aesthetically pleasing, uncluttered look. Include a margin of about an inch along all edges of the poster. (Segoe UI 32 pts) A poster can be an effective means of presentation at meetings, conferences or in a classroom setting. By creating a poster you can communicate your main points in a succinct and visual manner, allowing you to clearly present your research to others and engage your peers in conversation. Find out the requirements - Different types of poster projects may have different requirements. (Segoe UI 32 pts) Good organization is key to good communication. Good organization involves breaking down your content into logical categories. Organize your information into major sections. For example, a poster describing a quantitative study might include section headings such as: •Background or Introduction •Purpose or Objectives •Methods or Procedures •Results •Conclusions •Lessons Learned or Future Plans Break down the major sections into subtopics or bulleted paragraphs. Clear and Concise •Boil down information into bullet points where possible. •Avoid wordiness and jargon. •Use active voice. •Use vocabulary that your audience understands •Spell Out Acronyms The First Time You Use Them (SOATFTYUT). (Segoe UI 40pts) For instance (Segoe UI 32 pts) if you are preparing a poster for a conference, research the poster submission guidelines. Is there a deadline for submitting your abstract? Do the guidelines include specific requirements for layout or content? If you are preparing your poster for a class project, read the requirements on your syllabus well before your completed poster project is due. Choose a Topic Choose a topic that is not only interesting, but one that you feel can be communicated well in a poster. When choosing a topic for your poster, remember that you will not be able to fit all of your research on the poster and you should therefore choose a topic that allows you to present each of your points clearly and succinctly. (Segoe UI 40pts) Design and Layout (Segoe UI 32 pts) The following are key elements of design and layout you should consider when creating a poster. Banner - A poster should include a banner at the top which includes the title, and author(s) and their affiliations. The title needs to be large enough to be read from several feet away (typically a point size of 100 points or more). The authors and affiliations should be a smaller font than the title, but larger that the text in the body of the poster. Columns - Below the banner, a poster usually includes three or four columns of content. There are exceptions; in some cases you may opt not to break the content into columns. Alignment - Headings, columns, and graphics should be aligned whenever appropriate. (Segoe UI 40pts) White Space (Segoe UI 32 pts) Be sure to include enough white space. If everything is jammed together it will make the poster difficult to read and less appealing aesthetically. How much white space is enough? This is difficult to say. It is a judgment call. If the poster is too dense, delete nonessential material too allow for white space. Consistency - Use the same fonts throughout the poster. Use similar dimensions for illustrations and photographs. Use similar color and design elements throughout the poster. Color - Use color judiciously to add to the visual appeal of your poster. Consider using one or two accent colors (such as for shadows or thin lines separating columns) or using a pale background color. But too intense or too many colors can be distracting and annoying. Use either black or darkcolored text. 36”x48” Landscape Poster Template (Segoe UI Bold 88pts) Presenter name, Associates and Collaborators (Segoe UI Bold 50pts) Other logos here College of Medicine, University of Central Florida (Segoe UI 36pts) Background (Segoe UI 50pts) Body and/or Images (Segoe UI 32pts) Methods (Segoe UI 50pts) Body and/or Images (Segoe UI 32pts) Results (Segoe UI 50pts) Body and/or Images (Segoe UI 32pts) Discussion (Segoe UI 50pts) Body and/or Images (Segoe UI 32pts)