Do Bookish and Scientific Conference Posters Need a Drastic Change?

Academic women discussing scientific conference posters

What do y'all think of traditional conference posters?

Love them? Hate them?

However y'all feel virtually them, there is a poster design going viral on social media, often nether the hashtag #BetterPosters.

NPR even covered it if you're wondering what I'thousand talking nigh.

When I offset downloaded the (updated) template, I had mixed feelings about it.

At that place were some things I liked, simply other things I didn't. The things I liked made it worth retweeting, only now I've had a risk to carefully review it and to see how it'south been implemented by others. I wanted to take my fourth dimension with this to provide a thoughtful mail service about #BetterPosters.

I didn't share my initial concerns or critiques because there are normally plenty people out at that place playing "devil'south advocate" and critiquing other people'due south blueprint that I almost never feel the demand to join in.

I usually feel like we take better things to critique, like all the social injustice that'due south happening every unmarried day. I can be plenty disquisitional well-nigh the United States health intendance scam of a system, student loan debt, police brutality, how ridiculous it is that I pay thousands more than in business taxes than Netflix and Amazon, and …

well, you get the point.

And so when it comes to tech and design stuff?

I'k usually pretty arctic.

Fifty-fifty if people don't want me to be. One of the least popular things I say online is that I do not care how to pronounce "gif". Do I know what you lot're talking about? Practice I get what you're saying?

Then WHO CARES OMG.

Pronounce Gif Comic by Echo Rivera

Why am I telling yous all of this? I but demand you lot to understand that I'm not the type of person who jumps into every unmarried debate out there. I need you to run across I'thou not just trying to nay-say something because it's new and different. I comprehend things that challenge the status quo! This isn't only a "hot accept" to go attending.

Become to the point, you lot say? Okay, I volition.

I finally decided to write this post, because a lot of people have been asking me what I think. Plus, plainly, one conference is mandating this equally the new poster design layout and that was the final straw (speaking of straws, I could too go on a rant about the plastic straw ban…). My hope is that this post will encourage our field to have advantage of the good aspects coming out of #BetterPosters, while effectively addressing its limitations.

If we become this right, maybe we can use this momentum to alter briefing posters (and maybe slide presentations past extension!) for the ameliorate, on a widespread scale.

Okay, and then what do I recollect?

I recommend that this poster design does NOT become the new condition quo or gold standard for conference posters. To me, it's like the Prezi of affiche design.

It seems great at get-go because it's so different, and will wake some people up (which is fantastic), only in this post, I argue that ultimately it misses the mark in terms of using blueprint to effectively communicate information.

three things I Similar well-nigh #BetterPosters

(1) Information technology's changing minds and waking people up virtually how bad conference posters are.

The #1 biggest struggle I confront when trying to get academics and scientists to blueprint better presentations is that most people think their slide blueprint is much better than it actually is. And I'm not proverb that equally a judgmental snob. I've lost count of how many people have come to 1 of my presentation training workshops thinking they'll simply go a couple of "quick tips" but walk away realizing their entire arroyo needs to change.

But not in a soul-burdensome way. Many share things like my workshop was the breath of fresh air they needed, and they're now excited most all the possibilities for their hereafter slide presentations. And, of course, they don't just get motivated: they learn TONS of actionable strategies to make it happen, regardless of what slide software they use (If you want that for your team, send me a quick email).

I've also lost count of how many times someone has said "Yeah, my slide design is pretty good," but then when I meet their slides it'south very clear that's non the case. When the status quo is so bad, and the trouble is so widespread, it's like everyone gets stuck and collectively lowers their standards for effective research communication.

In other words: I know how hard it is to change people's attitudes nigh visually engaging research communication. Yet, that's exactly what'due south happening correct now with posters! More people are realizing they don't need to exist trapped by the condition quo. That conference posters don't have to be tiresome and you can use creativity and design to make them improve.

And that is a huge positive step for academia and scientific discipline because the status quo for conference poster pattern DOES need to change.

Echos Journal Barf Conference Poster Comic

Too frequently, briefing posters expect like a scholarly journal barfed up i of its publications and posted it on the wall.

That's non effective, either. All the text crowds the poster, leaving lilliputian room for information visualizations or other visuals, which means information technology's exactly the blazon of conference poster that:

  1. does not catch people's attention.

  2. does not encourage people to talk to y'all.

  3. makes it harder for y'all to verbally explicate.

  4. no one will actually read or comprehend during the conference.

I mean, seriously. The terminal fourth dimension you were attending a briefing poster session, retrieve about what happened when you tried to read a standard conference poster.

It'd probably take well-nigh ten-15 minutes to thoroughly read all the text, in a quiet room with no distractions. Now think dorsum to the noisiness of a affiche hall, and the other people breathing down your neck (violating your personal space) to read the poster too. And, you have the writer staring at the side of your confront the whole time (even if they aren't, information technology feels that style).

How much are yous really going to understand or call back?

Very little. A standard conference poster does non work well in an actual conference poster session.

A standard conference poster mayhap works well for bored undergrads to stare at in the hall before their class, but not for an bodily poster session.

But even and then, if information technology's a standard wall-of-text jargon-filled affiche, so those undergrads are probably simply going to exist uninspired and will probably walk abroad thinking research is boring or confusing.

Echos undergrad poster bored student comic

So that'due south what the #BetterPosters creator gets exactly right. What he says about traditional conference posters in this NPR article is 100% truthful. This is opening the door for people to let go of the wall of text. Information technology's getting people unstuck from repeating the status quo. I'm thrilled about that.

Whenever a client or member in my professional person development program asks about how to design a good poster, one of the commencement things I say is the purpose of a briefing poster is to…

  1. Take hold of people'southward attention (amongst the sea of posters).

  2. Make them want to come to talk to you (networking).

  3. Have juuuuust plenty detail to explain your work to them, pointing to visuals, data visualizations, and key points along the way.

  4. Hopefully, get them excited enough about you/your inquiry that they decide to learn more, later on the conference.

And I think that's what #BetterPosters is trying to become researchers to do, which I appreciate 100%. And for improve or worse, information technology's working really well for #one and #2. If yous roll through the hashtag on Twitter correct at present, yous volition encounter a lot of posts about crowds surrounding these posters. Poster presenters are sharing how their #BetterPosters approach is getting a lot of positive responses.

But…as I talk well-nigh afterward, I don't call back the #BetterPosters pattern successfully achieves #iii or #iv for that listing.

(2) It encourages academics and scientists to come with a headline (a takeaway indicate).

Instead of just a neutral or vague title, the cadre change of a #BetterPoster is that you have a headline—a takeaway point or message. This is fabulous.

I find it surprising how many academics or scientists tin can't answer the almost basic question about their work: What'south the point?

What'due south the takeaway message?

"I have data" is non a takeaway bulletin. #BetterPosters reminds scientists and academics to get-go by answering that question, and then pattern the rest of the affiche to support the takeaway bulletin.

(3) It'southward changing minds & waking researchers up virtually using design for better inquiry advice.

What exercise I mean #BetterPosters is like the Prezi of poster design?

Prezi was released around the fourth dimension I was struggling with my presentations. I wanted to practice better, but didn't know how, and was getting a little bored with them. Prezi came along and was a fun way to play around with creative ideas. No, I didn't spin things around or make people sick. What's funny is that after a couple of years, I realized that information technology was merely an excessive, fourth dimension-consuming, and expensive way to do the same things I could do in Keynote/PowerPoint (with less time, frustration, energy, and price). So, I'm thankful I used Prezi because it got me motivated and excited nigh applying creativity to slide presentations. BUT it didn't assistance me actually design better presentations.

Prezi helped with my attitude and motivation for bringing more creativity and constructive advice strategies into my presentations, but did non necessarily play a huge role in helping me actually implement those ideas effectively.

#BetterPosters is doing something similar—it gets people motivated to be more than artistic and use pattern, but does not provide a way to implement that finer. I explain why in the next section (spoiler: templates aren't the solution).

Still, a bulwark I encounter is that many academics and scientists don't value design the way they should.

A lot of people think design in research communication is superficial and only there to make things "pretty." Or, that design is something you retro-fit into your work—something you call up near after you're washed with the "real" content.

Simply #BetterPosters challenges that, and I'm thankful. It shows that both blueprint and data are important, and that blueprint shouldn't simply be an afterthought. I truly promise that anybody who is excited about #BetterPosters stays excited, simply pursues culling models and professional evolution grooming so they know how to use design effectively. Considering, as I talk near next, #BetterPosters misses the marker when it comes to this.

v things I DON'T Similar about #BetterPosters

And so, why exercise I ultimately suggest that the field doesn't use this design equally the new status quo? Here are the dealbreakers for me.

one) It perpetuates the myth that templates are the solution to ineffective advice strategies.

This is what I dislike the most about #BetterPosters.

After I finally get researchers fix to amend their slides, the second barrier I have to deal with is the myth that a template is the solution. Everyone is short on fourth dimension, so once people realize that their slide presentations are really #DeathByPowerPoint, most people merely want to buy a template to solve all their problems.

I have to do a SH*T TON of education to help people unlearn this myth. This blog mail is already long so I'm not going to explain it here, because I talk virtually it a lot elsewhere and I have free training addressing it.

And #BetterPosters just fabricated that even harder, which makes me really grumpy.

But not just for me and all the extra work I need to do because of it (like writing this weblog post). I'g grumpy in advance for all the researchers who are somewhen going to be disappointed when they realize a template didn't solve their root problems and that, ultimately, they notwithstanding share their inquiry in boring, confusing, or ineffective ways.

It doesn't affair how much you say "edit this template to work for you!" That's not how templates work. The purpose of templates is to fix boundaries and keep you within them (and commonly, those boundaries are bad design).

two) Almost of the poster design choices don't actually follow best practices for information/graphic design.

I've seen people say that the template is at least helpful for those without artistic or graphic design skills, simply that'south not true. In terms of the actual design, in that location are a number of problems, and overall it teaches people the wrong things about graphic/information design.

I'thou not going to listing them all (this is why you should take training, so you can learn them!), simply by and large speaking the placement of objects and text, arrangement of sections, alignments used, and bureaucracy are pretty off in the examples I've seen.

That'due south a lot of major design problems, not just a few minor ones. And that's some other reason you can't rely on templates. Only like the default ones that come up with PowerPoint, a lot of people who brand them don't specialize in (or haven't studied) how to apply graphic/data blueprint for educational purposes.

I've looked at how researchers are implementing (and adjusting) #BetterPosters. The best ones deviated significantly from the original template. The posters that look about like the original template all have multiple, and major, design flaws. But that'southward not their error! That'southward an expected outcome of using templates, especially when you haven't had grooming on graphic/information pattern.

Templates exercise not teach anyone effective design (or constructive presenting, for that matter). That is why I don't make slide templates for sale to the public.

three) Information technology's wasting a lot of valuable infinite that could be used for better and more creative poster designs.

This was the matter that stood out to me the most when I saw the original template. That's a LOT of space…wasted in a poster.

...just for some large text?

Like. That'southward it?

Don't become me wrong, I'one thousand a fan of whitespace. I hate crowding and cluttered design. I train people to exist careful of their psychological need/addiction to fill white infinite, merely this (in my stance) crosses the line.

That space could be used for more or larger (well-designed) data visualizations!

It could exist used for professional person-looking and well-designed models or scientific illustrations explaining the topic.

It could be used to accept a comic on the affiche!

There are more than artistic and constructive ways to use that blank space that actually involve visual communication (not just large words).

If you are excited well-nigh #BetterPosters then channel that energy into professional development and so you tin can implement that excitement effectively! Consider taking visual communication training to larn this skill, instead of trying to rely on templates that volition just limit your inventiveness (and encourage you to use bad pattern strategies).

(Past the manner, I tin help you lot think more than visually. I specialize in visual communication. Let's work together!)

four) Information technology's too much like a magazine ad or billboard; posters should be CENTERED AROUND DATA.

Here'southward the function that might hurt. The #BetterPosters does not address one of the biggest issues (or root causes) of standard briefing posters: sharing information in constructive ways with badly designed data visualizations.

What's funny is that people are often worried my slide design preparation or services volition put pattern or "fluff" over information. I'm critiqued for this all the time (especially past men). "This wouldn't piece of work for my sophisticated data," the Menz say.

Even so…that's exactly what this poster design does!

Yeah, it's tackled the problem of likewise much text on a affiche. But, in the original template, the information column is the smallest i!

The bodily data, past default in the original template, is de-emphasized AND designed ineffectively. Diagonal legends, too much ataxia, contrast problems, and more (lots more) remain completely unaddressed in the bodily graphs.

It's de-emphasizing and using ineffective pattern on the key part that could be more visually and graphically represented (e.g., data visualization)…all for a giant sentence.

The #BetterPosters pattern layout prioritizes the headline in a higher place the data, rather than applying visual communication, data visualization, and blueprint strategies to brand the data easy to sympathize.

A unmarried-line statement is not proof of anything, and when I see these I want to cry "testify me the data!" The goal should exist to blend the design with data, then the information notwithstanding takes priority but is communicated in more than effective and engaging ways thanks to the use of design.

In my stance, the #BetterPosters blueprint feels more like a mag ad than something that showcases bookish or scientific data.

Nosotros should larn how to create our own #DataCenteredDesign rather than relying on templates that put design over data, specially if the pattern doesn't even follow best practices.

Yes, I desire people to rethink the purpose of a conference affiche, only the one matter I think conference posters were getting right was that they were opportunities to share your data! That'south not the office that should have been eliminated or de-emphasized.

Luckily, a lot of researchers seem to concur because many of them are using that whitespace to add more graphs (or other pieces of information). But again, those graphs aren't following Bones information visualization all-time practices, and so it's still another case of how a template does non teach people how to utilize info/graphic design to share data.

Side note: In that location's something actress special about seeing a man getting praised as a "revolutionary" for doing the verbal thing that I (as a woman) take been critiqued for not even doing.

Critiqued presentation comic by Echo Rivera

4) Considering of #2 & #3, it adds unnecessary barriers for the audience.

When virtually of the poster is blank and text-based, yous can bet that a lot of people volition be frustrated they have to scan a QR reader but to go the information that should have been on the affiche to brainstorm with.

I know I would be. And I'g the type of person who probably wouldn't carp to have that actress pace.

You should never make your audience practise actress work to follow along or sympathize the material you're presenting. The whole indicate of using pattern when communicating data is to brand information technology easier on your audience, not harder.

The QR code (or website link) should exist for complementary or additional material only. Relevant data or information should exist on the poster.

This poster design template should NOT be mandated. NO TEMPLATES SHOULD.

I also wanted to make a note about something else I noticed in the NPR article. I'm especially concerned about the conference that's going to mandate this as the poster template.

That is a bad idea for three reasons: (1) there are problems with the design already, so you shouldn't mandate people to follow ineffective design; (ii) templates stifle inventiveness; and (3) standardized templates are not the solution!

Conference organizers are already mandating poorly designed templates and stifling creativity across the globe, so it's disappointing to run into that this trend isn't slowing down.

Seriously, if you're a conference organizer who has the power to mandate templates: just don't.

And as well, if #BetterPosters became the next template that everyone uses, it'll just be a ocean of #BetterPosters. The attention-grabbing ability of a unique poster design is gone.

Echo Rivera Same Conference Poster Comic

By the way, it's not actually revolutionary.

The NPR commodity about this opens with:

Mike Morrison hardly looks like a revolutionary. He's wearing a dark suit and has short hair. Only we're nigh to enter a earth of conformity that hasn't changed in decades — maybe even a century. And in at that place, his vision seems radical. (source)

Yeaaahhhh. Ummm… permit's talk almost that for a sec.

Want revolutionary? Stefanie Posavec & Giorgia Lupi essentially turned the earth upside down with Dear Information. I know information technology's not specifically almost conference posters, but conference posters are about sharing data, and so information technology notwithstanding applies.

Others accept been doing the difficult work of convincing people to utilise design with information for years.

For example, check out the beautiful, listen-blowing piece of work (including posters) created past Monica Granados! These are probably the BEST briefing posters I've ever seen. One of them is interactive, folks. THAT'S inventiveness.

Hither'due south another case, Dr. Kiki Sanford fabricated a video nearly effective poster design.

Want another case? Kylie Hutchinson wrote a guest post for Stephanie Evergreen's blog nigh improve poster pattern, with even more links and resource at the lesser.

And simply then you know… in that location are more people out there, each 1 planting seeds in people'due south minds almost using information with design. People preparation others or designing things for others that effectively uses design to showcase and support data. People similar Sara Vaca, Elissa Schloesser, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, Sheila Robinson, Ann Chiliad. Emery, Stephanie Evergreen, Ama Nyame-Mensah, Louise Le, and even myself.

And so, to have this blueprint all of a sudden take off and exist described as revolutionary? It's one matter to similar the design, only personally, I think we should acknowledge the (more) significant contributions by others.

(To be off-white, I don't think the #BetterPosters creator is calling himself that, I recall information technology was the NPR journalist. And he seems like a really cool guy who has welcomed community feedback and has already tried to improve the template. This is not an assault on him personally, considering I actually really appreciate his mission to improve research communication).

"Okay Echo, ultimately what's YOUR indicate? What'due south YOUR takeaway bulletin?"

Thank you for asking. Here are my recommendations for taking the adept pieces of #BetterPosters and making it fifty-fifty meliorate so we can effectively and creatively communicate our work in more visual ways.

  1. If you are excited nearly #BetterPosters, then GOOD. Be excited about the idea that your posters (and slides, by the mode) Tin can be better, you SHOULD employ pattern and creativity to make it happen, and that it's WORTH THE EFFORT.

  2. For the love of science and all-things-data, if you're a conference organizer practice non require this equally the template (in fact, don't mandate any template, E'er. Terminate it!).

  3. Utilize the adept elements: have a clear headline and use less text (and larger font sizes) than you lot're probably used to.

  4. When it comes to creating your poster design, though, templates won't salve you (non for slides, and non for posters either). They volition limit your creativity and nigh likely will encourage yous to apply bad design. You're better off channeling your excitement into learning visual communication skills and using those skills to make your ain unique poster.

  5. Focus less on being a magazine advert and focus more on well-designed data visualization. Use design to showcase, not de-emphasize, your data.

  6. Take professional person development and/or piece of work with an data pattern professional person — someone with experience and expertise blending design with information — to blueprint your poster. My acme two recommendations are:

    • Dr. Zen Faulkes' volume, Better Posters: Plan, Design and Nowadays an Bookish Poster

    • The Animate Your Science online grade (run into my review here)

SUMMARY: (1) Standard conference posters are currently designed ineffectively and DO need to modify, and (2) I'm thrilled that so many new people are interested in using design to present their information and we must encourage this enthusiasm. Sadly (3) templates will never exist the solution, so (four) invest in your ain professional development well-nigh visual communication!

with joy,

Echo Rivera, PhD

Additional Resources >>

  • A website about better posters (that blend data with pattern rather well)

  • Dr. Jaye Gardiner's Twitter thread with #BetterPoster critiques

  • Amy Cheu's Twitter thread with #BetterPoster critiques

  • Neil Cohn'south Twitter thread with #BetterPoster critiques

Links shared in this post >> 

  • NPR article mentioned in this post

  • My unique presentation training framework

  • Link to my contact information

  • My services

  • 6 things no one tells you almost designing and delivering engaging presentations

  • Trained vs. self-taught: iv reasons ane is better than the other

  • The 10 most common data visualisation mistakes people brand past Dr. Anna Clemens

  • Stefanie Posavec & Giorgia Lupi of Beloved Information

  • Monica Granados of Descience blog

  • Dr. Kiki Sanford's video about constructive poster pattern

  • Kylie Hutchinson's invitee post for Stephanie Evergreen's blog about better poster design

  • Sara Vaca of VISUALBRAINS

  • Elissa Schloesser of VISUAL VOICE

  • Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic of Storytelling with Data

  • Sheila Robinson of Custom Professional Learning

  • Ann Yard. Emery of Depict Data Studio

  • Stephanie Evergreen of Evergreen Data

  • Ama Nyame-Mensah'southward blog about all things data and research

  • Louise Le of Feed Me Information

  • Dr. Zen Faulkes' volume, Better Posters: Plan, Design and Nowadays an Academic Affiche

  • The Animate Your Scientific discipline online course (come across my review here)