© Kathryn Tosney
Professor of Biology
The University of Michigan

Tosney home page

Society for Developmental Biology

ktosney@umich.edu

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4. Use visual grammar.

Show, don’t tell

If its important, make it BIG

• Avoid a publication-style format, like a journal article, that supplies every detail.
  *
  Use figures and graphs.
  
  Make all graphic elements large enough so that the important information is easily visible 4 feet away.
  
  
• Graphics should dominate the poster visually.
  
  

Use type size proportional
to importance:



• largest type: title
  
  next largest type: section headings
  
  medium type: supporting material
  
  
• smallest type, 14 points: details
  .
  
  

© Kathryn Tosney
Chair of Biology
The University of Miami

Tosney home page
Society for Developmental Biology
ktosney@miami.edu

3. Let them guess the sequence.

Directives:

Hints:

Omit:
numbers
letters
arrows
logical sequence

Or, use:
tiny numbers
Roman numerals
Greek letters

Odd placement:
and put them in obscure places
or in a different place on each panel

If you also spread the panels randomly, you will give your viewers the pleasure of the game called: “hunting for the next section.”

If your arrangement is random enough, your competitors may associate the wrong legend with a figure, and thus be unable to “borrow” your ideas and scoop you.