1. Poster Training Workshop Peter Devine 23 – 27 March 2015

2. Research Career DevelopmentInstitute of Educational Technology (IET)The Open UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA www.open.ac.uk

3. Poster Design and Layout Prepared by Peter Devine

4. What will the viewer be looking for? • does the poster explain your research in a clear, concise manner that a non-subject specialist can understand? • does it convey the reasons why you are spending three years researching in that particular field? • does it present your work without the use of complex graphs and diagrams? • is it easy to understand the order in which the text on the poster should be read?

5. What will the viewer be looking for? • is the text size appropriate (can it be read in five minutes from five feet away)? • is there too much/too little text and information? • can you answer questions about your poster and your work when asked to by the judges/other students?

6. What makes a good poster? • Carefully chosen purpose and key points • Familiarity with audience - Level of understanding - Language - Aesthetic appeal • Clear structure - Information hierarchy - Definite conclusion

7. What makes a good poster? • Professionally produced - Good colour reproduction - High resolution images - Quality paper • Clear navigation - Effective layout - Headings - Colour coordination • Limited but effective design palette - Colour scheme - Fonts - Typographic hierarchy

8. Poster layout • Content well structured • Consistent, simple and legible design

9. Poster layout grid • Grid forms the basis of the page foundation • Defines areas of content • Directs attention • Boundaries remain consistent

10. Using typography • Use only Arial or Times (OU typefaces) • Use the different weights to emphasise headings • Use columns to break up large areas of text

11. Basic usage • Always align type to the left to ensure even spacing and legibility • Standard sentence case should always be used

12. Leading (line spacing) • Should be carefully considered to achieve a clean and readable look

13. Basic formatting • Consistent use of space between headers, body copy and bullets • Information is grouped to ensure readability

14. Using a colour palette • Use the OU Colour Palette to bring contrast and emphasis to your applications • Ten expressive colours arranged chromatically as a ‘wheel’ to help with colour selection • White is also an essential design element valued both as a colour and spacial component

15. Using complementary colours • Use a maximum of three expressive colours • Neighbouring colours on the ‘wheel’ are good harmonious combinations • Any of the neutral grey shades and black can be used alongside the expressive colours

16. Using colour with photography • Choose colours that complement photographs as well as themselves

17. Using images at the correct resolution • It is important to use images that are of a high resolution when printing • 300dpi (dots per inch) is the recommended resolution for print

18. Some examples of posters

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28. Final thoughts • Posters should be - Informative and not overwhelming - Eye catching, clear and concise - Easily interpretable as a stand-alone piece • Include contact details - Name, address, email/phone number - A4 handouts of poster • Display and presentation - Check mounting arrangements and materials - Have a brief talk planned for interested visitors

29. Software • Use whatever application you feel most comfortable with to get the job done • Recommended software for layout - PowerPoint - Adobe InDesign • Recommended software for illustration and image management - Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Illustrator

30. Practical information • A1 paper size: 594 x 841 mm Useful links • Help choosing colour palettes: kuler.adobe.com • Tag clouds: www.tagxedo.com, www.wordle.net • Textures: www.cgtextures.com • Silhouettes: all-silhouettes.com

31. Printing your poster 2 options available on campus • Central Print Services • MCT Faculty 31

32. Central Print Services • http://intranet6.open.ac.uk/it/main/printing-services • F Block, Room 36 • 01908 (6) 53014 • IT-Central-Printing-Services@open.ac.uk Cost: Matt paper – 90 gsm | Departmental – £4.00, Private – £10.32 Glossy paper – 190 gsm | Departmental – £10, Private – £20.40 32

33. MCT Faculty • mcs-a0-print-request@open.ac.uk • Jennie Lee Building Cost: Free – please check. 33

34. Final Date Final date for sending poster to central print services is Wednesday 3rd June Give yourself plenty of time. Don’t leave it to the last minute. Central Print Services sell cardboard tubes – perfect for storing your poster until you need to display it. Check cost! 34

35. Final file Supply PDF files only! PDF ensures special symbols such as greek and mathematics are formatted correctly 35

36. Further support For competition information, contact –  research-training-development@open.ac.uk For software support, contact your IT support person 36

37. Good luck! 37