This document provides guidance on creating effective posters through content and presentation. It discusses key elements of content, such as focusing on the audience and telling a story concisely. Visual presentation concepts like contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity are also covered. The document emphasizes that both content and presentation are necessary and should be considered together to achieve harmonic unity and create a positive learning experience for the viewer.

1. Creating Effective Posters
Content and Presentation
Iowa State University
July 17, 2006
Steven Pautz

2. Scope
What you want to
Content
communicate
Requirements
Content
What you actually say
Delivery
How you present
Visual
what you say
Communication
How you style that
Visual
presentation
Personality

3. Not Just for Posters
These concepts apply everywhere;
what makes posters different?
?
v Purpose
v Audience
v Context

4. Two Key Elements
Content
Presentation
v Both are necessary

5. Two Key Elements
Content
Presentation
v Both are necessary

6. Two Key Elements
Content
Presentation
v Both are necessary

7. Goal: Harmonic Unity
Content
Presentation

8. Content
v Chef  Customer
v Storytelling
v Conciseness
v Visuals

9. Chef  Customer
Focus on the final outcome,
not the ingredients or recipe.
v T h ey’ h ere for th e m ea l n ot th e ki e n
re , tch

10. Chef  Customer
“Empathy is not just about
step p i g i to a n oth er’ sh o es.
nn s
Fi y ou m u st rem ove yo u r ow n sh oe s.”
rst
~Indian Proverb.”

11. Chef  Customer
To create this project, we used: This project helps people:
• C++ • Avoid mistakes
• VR Juggler • Stay relaxed at work
• GLSL • Communicate better
• Who cares? • Have more fun
v What would they rather talk about?

12. Storytelling
Grab their attention,
build interest,
then reward it.
v Emotion + Logic

13. Storytelling
H ere’ w h a t w e d i :
s d 90% of Big Important Things
end in failure.
1. Random idea
2. Build it That sucks for everyone.
3. See if it works
H ere’ w h a t w e ’ d o i g to h el :
s re n p
4. Do the steps really matter?
• Innovative concept
• Progress towards solution
v Relevant? Memorable? Engaging?

14. Conciseness
Eliminate the unnecessary
so that the necessary may speak.
v Omit needless words

15. Conciseness
G o sh, th ere ’ a l t o f tex t o ve r
s o Long passages discourage
here. Do you really want to read reading and reflection.
all of it? Is this actually going
Concise passages encourage it.
anywhere? The only way to find
out is to trudge through the
whole thing! Skimming could
h el , b u t i d w o rk m u ch b etter i
p t’ f
this passage were actually written
to be skimable. In any case, text
exists to be read, so if a passage
d o esn ’ en co u rag e re ad i g th en i
t n t
might as well not exist. To make
effective— and rememberable—
content, then, we have to
encourage reading. Needlessly-
l n g p assag es o f tex t d o n ’ d o
o t
v Breathing room!
this; shorter ones usually do.

16. Visuals

17. Visuals
When in widescreen mode,
th ree o f th e C 4 ’ screen s l n e
s i
up to form a single wall with a
single, extra-wide image
displayed across it. This opens
up the C4 space, giving
viewers significantly more
room.
The C4 in widescreen mode
v Words + Pictures > Words

18. Presentation
v Contrast
v Repetition
v Alignment
v Proximity

19. Presentation
v C ontrast
v R epetition
v A lignment
v P roximity

20. Using These Concepts
Applicable (almost) anywhere...
v Fonts v Sizes
v Shapes v Styles
v Symbols v Colors
v Images v Categories
v White space v Directions
v etc. v etc.
v Experiment! Be brave!

21. Using These Concepts
Apply in reverse-CRAP order
v Contrast
v Repetition
v Alignment
v Proximity
v Organization before decoration

22. Contrast
If tw o el m e n ts aren ’ si i ar,
e t ml
make them very different.
v Concord, contrast, or conflict
v “D on ’ b e a w i p ”
t m

23. Contrast
First Heading First Heading
Boring old text. Nothing to see
Boring old text. Nothing to see here.
here. It just goes on and on, It just goes on and on, saying
saying nothing. Seriously, stop
nothing. Seriously, stop reading.
reading.
Second Heading
Second Heading
Boring old text. Nothing to see here.
Boring old text. Nothing to see
It just goes on and on, saying
here. It just goes on and on,
nothing. Seriously, stop reading.
saying nothing. Seriously, stop
reading.
v Where do your eyes go?

24. Repetition
Repeat the same visual elements
and features.
v Recognizable consistency

25. Repetition
Objective Objective
More boring old text. Nothing to More boring old text. Nothing to
see h ere. A t least it’ n o t L a tin .
s see h ere. A t least it’ n o t L a tin .
s
Method
Method
More boring old text. Nothing to
More boring old text. Nothing to see
see h ere. A t least it’ n o t L a tin .
s
h ere. A t least it’s n o t L atin .
Results
Results
More boring old text. Nothing to More boring old text. Nothing to
see h ere. A t least it’ no t Latin.
s see h ere. A t least it’ n o t L a tin .
s
v If it works well, do it again

26. Alignment
Create visual connections
among elements.
v Nothing should be placed arbitrarily

27. Alignment
A Major Project A Major Project
With a fancy subtitle! With a fancy subtitle!
What We Did What We Did
W e’ made a lot of progress.
ve W e’ m ad e a lo t o f p ro gress. T h e
ve
The end of the presentation should end of the presentation should be
be coming up soon. coming up soon.
Up Next.... Up Next....
W e’ made a lot of progress.
ve
W e’ m ad e a lo t o f p ro gress. T h e
ve
The end of the presentation should
end of the presentation should be
be coming up soon.
coming up soon.
v Alignment builds cohesiveness

28. Proximity
Related items should be grouped together.
Unrelated items should not.
v Closeness implies relationship

29. Proximity
Design Design
Purpose
Purpose
Behavior
Behavior
Interface
Interface
Implementation Implementation
Backend
Backend
Frontend
Frontend
Evaluation Evaluation
Formative Formative
Summative
Summative
v Groups separated by empty space

30. Proximity
Psychology Psychology
Sociology Sociology
Anthropology Anthropology
Computer Science Computer Science
Engineering Engineering
Design
Design
Architecture
Architecture
Marketing
Marketing Business Analysis
Business Analysis Finance
Finance
v Say what you mean; mean what you say

31. Content
v Chef  Customer
v Storytelling
v Conciseness
v Visuals

32. Presentation
v Contrast
v Repetition
v Alignment
v Proximity

33. The Big Picture
v Content and Presentation
v Start with the purpose
v Iterate content and
presentation together
v It’ ab o u t th e vi w er’
s e s
learning experience
(bon appétit!)