PRACTICAL GUIDE: HOW TO CREATE ATTRACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE SCIENTIFIC POSTERS?

florencedaubine
Sep 11
7 min read

Let's be clear: creating a scientific poster can seem daunting. Between the mass of information to condense, the choice of visuals, and the layout, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. I've been there myself, with the added frustration of not having any visitors.

Here are some tips I wish I'd had when designing my posters.

A scientific poster is neither an article nor a full report: it's a condensed, visual version of your research.

Think of it as an illustrated “teaser” for your research! Its purpose? To pique curiosity and make people want to know more.

To ensure that your work does not go unnoticed in the jungle of poster sessions, here are three golden rules to remember:

Be concise and impactful: Your audience only has a few minutes to spare when passing by your poster. Aim for content that can be read in 5 minutes or less! The main message should be obvious at first glance. You can then share details and further information in direct discussions with interested parties.
Capture attention: Let's be honest, in a poster session, no one has the time (or energy) to read everything. Visitors stroll around, glance at things, and only stop where something catches their eye. You literally have 10 seconds to make them stop in front of your work. If your poster looks like a Word page stuck on a board, it will be invisible. So play your cards right: colors, visual hierarchies, clear diagrams...
Invite dialogue: a good poster is not a wall of text: it is a starting point for conversation. A fluid, well-structured layout helps readers follow the thread and ask questions, rather than tuning out.

POSTER LAYOUT

The layout is like a road map for your poster: it should catch the eye and allow the main message to be understood at a glance. Here's how to turn your content into a smooth and enjoyable reading experience:

Choose your format strategically

Portrait or landscape?

If there are no restrictions, adapt to the display location. A landscape format may be too narrow for a hallway, while a portrait format that is too low may require the reader to contort themselves.

Guide the eye

Think about the path your readers will follow so you don't lose them and guide their gaze to the most important messages first.

In the West, the eye naturally reads from left to right and top to bottom, so the main message should appear at the top left.

But your poster is not an article, as we said above: dare to break the linearity by playing with columns, blocks of text, visuals, arrows...

The idea is to create a fluid visual journey.

Structure into clear sections

Separate your sections (introduction, materials and methods, etc.) into well-defined boxes, and leave margins around the text. If it is too cramped, your content will quickly become unreadable and discouraging.

As “Methods” and “Results” are the most important sections, they should represent two-thirds of the poster.

Balance text, visuals, and space

A successful poster is above all a question of balance. Too much text discourages the reader, too many images blur the message.

Don't neglect the “white space” either: it breaks up the text, energizes the poster, and makes the whole thing more pleasant to look at.

A margin of about 1 inch around the poster also helps to keep the presentation neat and harmonious.

A simple rule of thumb: approximately 30% text, 40% illustrations, 30% white space.

Focus on readability and simplicity

To ensure effortless reading, focus on simplicity. Sans serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are ideal.

Maintain visual consistency by limiting the number of fonts: one for the text, possibly another for the titles.

Avoid excessive use of capital letters, repeated bold type, or underlining, which tire the eye.

Italics should be reserved for special cases.

In terms of size, here are a few practical guidelines:

Title: ~84 points
Headings: ~36 points
Body text: ~24 points

These proportions ensure optimal readability.

Limit colors

When it comes to color, the golden rule is simple: readability above all else.

Look for contrast between the text and the background. Light text on a dark background (e.g., white on navy blue), or vice versa (black on a light background): both work, as long as the eye can immediately distinguish the information.

Avoid colors that are too pale and disappear, or too aggressive and tiring.

Also, avoid the “rainbow” effect, which makes reading difficult. Two or three main colors are more than enough, as long as they harmonize well with each other.

For more information, take a look at my article “How our brain perceives colors.”

Test the readability

If there is only one rule to remember, it is this:

If your poster is not easily readable from 5 feet away, it has failed.

Keep your visual codes (arrows, symbols, pictograms) consistent. This helps your readers follow the thread effortlessly.

POSTER CONTENT

No matter how beautiful a poster is, it is useless if its message is confusing or too cluttered. Your layout highlights the content, but it is the content that must convince.

The goal is simple: to offer clear, concise, and informative text that can be read in five minutes or less and makes people want to discuss it further.

Lighten your writing style

Aim for between 250 and 450 words: no more.

Use short, simple sentences (subject – verb – complement), with precise and accessible vocabulary.

Essential information should appear at the beginning of the sentence, where the eye naturally stops.

Simplify with visuals

Illustrations are not there to decorate: they serve to make your data more understandable and attractive.

To be effective, use high-quality visuals created with appropriate software.

For graphs, keep it simple: clear, labeled curves, legible axes, explicit titles, avoid heavy captions... and why not add an arrow or comment to highlight the key result?

The different sections of the poster

The title Short, precise, and catchy, it should summarize your objective, your methods, and your results in one or two lines. It's the first thing people read, so make sure it stands out.
The authors Mention the people involved, their expertise, and their contributions. This section reinforces the scientific credibility of your work.
The introduction Here, you set the scene: clear objective, hypotheses, and research question. The idea is to take the reader straight to the heart of your study.
Materials and methods Be concise: there's no need for all the technical details! Describe the main points of your approach and, if possible, support them with a diagram or photo. This makes the section both more engaging and easier to understand.
Results This is often the most extensive section. Highlight your data using graphs, tables, and diagrams. Visuals should take precedence over text: your readers will understand more quickly.
Conclusion In a few sentences, summarize your results and open up possible perspectives or applications. Ask yourself this question: what would I like the reader to take away from this?
References These are not essential, but they reinforce scientific rigor. A few key references are sufficient. Place them at the bottom of the poster, using a smaller font so as not to overload the page.
Acknowledgments Show your appreciation for your supporters by displaying their logos and acronyms in a clean and professional manner. This demonstrates transparency and gratitude.

Include a QR code linking to your publications or contact details. This is an excellent way to ensure that readers leave with your information, even after they have left the session.

PRINTING: AVOID UNPLEASANT SURPRISES!

Is your poster ready? Perfect!

But before rushing off to the printer, there are a few checks you should make to avoid disappointment:

Image quality: Your photos and visuals must be in high definition to avoid the “visible pixels” effect. Choose TIFF or PNG formats, which are less compressed than JPG, for a sharper image.
If you are using a color or image as a background, allow it to extend 5 mm beyond the final format. This will prevent unsightly white borders caused by cutting (the famous “bleed”).
PDF export: Set your document to a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch). This is the professional standard!

Choosing the right printing medium

On canvas A little more expensive, but very practical: canvas folds without leaving marks and fits easily into a carry-on suitcase. Ideal if you are traveling or want to reuse the poster. The only slight downside is that the visual rendering is sometimes a little less sharp than with glossy paper.

On glossy paper Perfect for posters rich in graphics, images, and colors. The result is bright and attractive, but beware of glare under certain lighting conditions.

On matte paper
Less prone to glare, so more suitable if your poster contains mostly text. The result is understated and legible, but less “vibrant” than on glossy paper.

In any case, ask your printer for advice: they will be able to guide you according to your needs and budget.

E-POSTERS

In recent years, conferences have also been offering e-posters, displayed on screens.

Their big advantage? They can be dynamic: videos, animations, audio, zoom on graphics, clickable links... in short, a new way to illustrate your point.

The reading experience is also different from a paper poster: you can present the content step by step, like a slideshow, guiding the reader through the different sections. And there's no need for it to be legible from 5 feet away: here, good visibility from 2 inches away from the screen is sufficient.

Designing a scientific poster is not just about presenting results: it's about highlighting your work and that of your team. A well-designed poster is also a showcase for your laboratory or institution. It reflects the rigor, seriousness, and creativity of your research, and helps to reinforce the credibility and image of your team. A well-designed poster sends a clear and powerful message: “Here, we do quality science.”

👉 Here you will find a concrete example of an impactful poster I created: "Academic poster"