Research Poster Design

The title of your poster should be catchy and draw your audience's attention.  The best titles are:

• Meaningful enough to create interest in your topic
• Short enough to fit in the designated placeholder on two lines
• Free of acronyms and jargon

The names of the researchers should be listed just under the title with their affiliations.

 Font Size:

Title: 48-60 pt

Authors: 32-40 pt

Recommended Font Type:

Sans Serif (ex - Helvetica, Arial, Calibri)

The introduction is where you set the stage for your research and give your audience any necessary information they may need to understand your poster. Keep your language concise, aim for less than 150 words.

• Give your topic context - Why should people care?  What impact will your research have?  Why is this topic ideal for research?
• Minimize background information and definitions, only include what the audience must know to understand your poster.
• Give a clear hypothesis.

Think about how you can use visuals to share this information.  Is there an image of the topic of your research that can be included here for context?

 Font Size:

Headings: 28-40 pt

Body Text: 18-28 pt

Recommended Font Type:

Headings: Sans Serif - same as author's names in previous section

Body Text: Serif (ex - Times New Roman, Garamond)

Like most primary source research articles, the Materials & Methods section is where you describe your research process.  Include information about the equipment and research methods you used to test your hypothesis.  Keep your text brief and consider using visuals to share your message.

• Figures or tables to help describe the design
• Flow charts to describe the experimental procedures
• Photographs or labeled drawings of the equipment used

Font Size:

Headings: 28-40 pt

Body Text: 18-28 pt

Captions: 12-18 pt

Recommended Font Type:

Headings: Sans-Serif

Body Text: Serif

Captions: Serif - same as body text

Did it work or not?  Cut to the point - what was observed and/or what did the data support?  This is the largest part of your poster, but it should consist of visuals with the least amount of text possible (less than 100 words).  Use captions to give your visuals context.  Be sure to include:

• Data analysis
• Supporting charts, figures, images, or tables - don't forget to refer to them in the text
• Legends that can stand on their own - assuming that the reader skips to the pictures first

Font Size:

Headings: 28-40 pt

Body Text: 18-28 pt

Captions: 12-18 pt

Recommended Font Type:

Headings: Sans Serif

Body Text: Serif

Captions: Serif

This is the place to summarize your findings and relate your hypothesis to your results.  You may have a lot to say in this part of the poster, so the text in this section can be a little longer.  Aim for 200-300 words.  Be sure to focus on your message and answer:

• Was your hypothesis supported by your research?  Remember that "no" is an acceptable answer.  
• Were there any interesting or unexpected findings?
• What are future directions that this research can take?

Font Size:

Headings: 28-40 pt

Body Text: 18-28 pt

Recommended Font Type:

Heading: Sans-Serif

Body Text: Serif