When deciding how to design your poster, you will want to think carefully about the most effective way to visually present your research to your expected audience.

• What is the “take-home message” of your work?
• How will you draw people in?

Many academic conferences include poster sessions as a part of conference programming, but they may also be displayed in stand-alone events such as poster fairs. In a typical poster session, presenters stand near their posters prepared to speak with interested attendees about their work. Many times when submitting for a poster presentation, you need only submit an abstract. 

The best posters typically…

• Highlight the main point so that it can be read and understood from a distance

• Limit the amount of text to 300-800 words -- less is more!

• Include meaningful images, graphics, or charts to convey information

• Make use of basic visual design principles

• Are accessible to as many people as possible

• Include researcher names and affiliations, references, and funding acknowledgments (if applicable)