Presenting tomorrow at the UNLV Science Camp for select high school students on creating scientific posters.

1. Creating Scientific Posters
Ed Nagelhout
Professor of Rhetoric and Writing
Science Camp

2. Rhetorical Triangle

3. Basic Visual Design
Understanding basic
visual design helps to
present "clean"
documents and
communicate more
effectively.
Four Basic Principles:
1. Contrast
2. Repetition
3. Alignment
4. Proximity

4. Contrast
Use the principle of
contrast to create
strong dynamic
differences among
elements that are
different.
If it is different, make
it very different.

5. Contrast
Describe Contrast in this Photo
http://unbounce.com/photos/color-and-contrast-for-cta.jpg

6. Repetition
Use the principle of
repetition to repeat
selected elements
throughout your
poster.
This can help
give your poster
unity and
organization.

7. Repetition
http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/what_ever_happened_to_baby_jane.jpg
Describe
Repetition
in this
Movie
Poster

8. Alignment
Use the principle of alignment
to connect elements visually
(through invisible lines)
on your poster.
Grids are very useful for
achieving good alignment.
This will give your poster a
clean, well-organized look.

9. Alignment
Describe Alignment in this Poster
http://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-c11ab4a7656bed3f57877d634b63ba97?convert_to_webp=true

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Use the principle of
proximity to ensure
that related items are
grouped together.
People will tend to
interpret items
together or near
to each other as
belonging to the
same group.

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Describe
Proximity
in this
Concert
Poster
http://www.jlibby.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/lolla_3.jpg

12. Basic Reading Patterns

13. Simple Quadrant Test

14. Vertical Lines Test

15. Scientific Poster Tips
Keep it Simple!
• Make ONE clear, major point
• Follow basic visual design
principles
• Place important information,
like conclusions, in visually
effective places
• Make your findings obvious
on multiple levels

16. Scientific Poster Tips
Colors and Fonts
• Limit colors to 2 or 3
• Limit fonts to 2 (Headers and Text)
• Maximize Contrast of fonts/colors/background
• Use highlighting selectively
• Making reading (and seeing) easy
• BIGGER IS BETTER!

17. Scientific Poster Tips
Text Thinking
• Text should not be TEXT
• Always left justify
• Include Methods &
Include Findings, but
simplify descriptions
• Short text lines are
easier to read
• Make use of headings,
highlighted key words,
and bullet points

18. Scientific Poster Tips
Pictures and Photos
• Pictures can add detail
• Pictures can help tell
the story
• Pictures can provide
clarification
• Pictures should not
stand alone
• Pictures can be sized
and adjusted

19. Scientific Poster Tips
Figures and Graphs
• Keep figures and
graphs simple
• Avoid “chart junk”
• Create titles with a
message
• Make clear
connections to
findings and other
elements in the
poster

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21. Reading Posters
which they the will view the poster.
Different distances require different sized text. Your
primary message should be clear at a range of distances.
Effective
scientific poster
design must
consider not only
the ways that
viewers “read”
the poster, but
also the range of
distances from

22. Poster Reading Patterns
Effective poster
design must not only
account for key
visual components,
but also the ways
that key terms and
phrases catch the
reader’s attention,
especially at a
distance.

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26. For More Information:
Designing conference posters:
http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign
Scientific Posters Tutorials
http://www.makesigns.com/tutorials/
Dartmouth Guide to Designing & Printing a Research Poster
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/undergrad/posterinstructions.html
Questions?
ed.nagelhout@unlv.edu
Science Camp