BJ 71(6): 3527-3529, 1996 Poster Presentations 3
DO lay out the poster segments in a logical order, so that reading proceeds in some kind of linear
fashion from one segment to the next, moving sequentially in a raster pattern. The best way to set
up this pattern is columnar format, so the reader proceeds vertically first, from top to bottom, then
left to right. This has the advantage that several people can be all reading your poster at the same
time, walking through it from left to right, without having to exchange places. Consider numbering
your individual poster pieces (1, 2, 3,... ) so that the reading sequence is obvious to all. And
always make sure that all figure legends are located immediately adjacent to the relevant figures.
DON'T use gratuitous colors. Colors attract attention but can equally well detract from your
message when misused. Fluorescent (neon) color borders just don't cut it for posters. Neither do
excessive variations in color (the rainbow look). Forget paisley, tie-dye, stripes, polka dots, and
batique. In your graphic items, use color with deliberation; avoid using it for its own sake, and
avoid pseudocoloring when possible.
DO, by all means, use colors in your poster, and always try to use them in a way that helps to
convey additional meaning. For color borders, select something that draws attention but doesn't
overwhelm. For color artwork, make sure that the colors actually mean something and serve to
make useful distinctions. If pseudocoloring is necessary, give thought to the color scale being
used, making sure that it is tasteful, sensible, and above all, intuitive. Also. be mindful of color
contrast when choosing colors; never place isoluminous colors in close proximity (dark red on
navy blue, chartreuse on light gray, etc.), and remember that a lot of people out there happen to be
red/green colorblind. Please remember this advice when you create color slides and transparencies
as well.
POSTER CONTENT
DON'T write your poster as one long, meandering thread.
DO break your poster up into sections, much like a scientific article. Label all the sections with
titles. Always start with an abstract, and write up this section so it can be easily read and digested,
in contrast to the abstracts found in some scientific journals. Remember, you are not compelled to
put it all down in 150 words or less. Make sure that your abstract contains a clear statement of your
conclusions, so your reader will understand where you're headed, so to speak. Follow the abstract
with other sections that describe the strategy, methods, and results (although you need not call
these sections by those names). Display all your graphs, pictures, photos, illustrations, etc. in
context. Write clear, short legends for every figure. Follow up with a Conclusions section. You
may wish to add some kind of executive summary at the end; many successful posters provide a
bulleted list of conclusions and/of questions answered or raised.
DON’T ever expect anyone to spend more than 3-5 min (tops!) at your poster. If you can't clearly
convey your message pictorially in less time than this, chances are you haven't done the job
properly.
DO get right to the heart of the matter, and remember the all-important KISS Principle: Keep It
Simple Stupid! In clear, jargon-free terms. your poster must explain 1) the scientific problem in
mind (what’s the question?), 2) its significance (why should we care?), . 3) how your particular
experiment addresses the problem (what's your strategy?), 4) the experiments performed (what did
you actually do ?), 5) the results obtained (what did you actually find?), 6) the conclusions (what